Bundled payments, a health care payment innovation that has been widely praised for controlling costs, recently got a bad rap. Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price has delayed implementation of the final Medicare rule for several bundled payment programs that were set to start this year. He has criticized the bundled payments initiative […]
For Patients, “Trust Me” Is No Longer Good Enough for Medical Decision-Making
It’s time to rethink ideologies of medical care that no longer make sense. The following may sound revolutionary, but are nonetheless true: Patients are the future leaders in medical care. Patients must and can make their own medical decisions after being informed. Patients can and must learn to discern useless from useful information. Science must […]
The Dirty Little Secret About Performance Measurement Data
“The data just hooks up.” That was an opening remark from a competitor applauding his company’s scoring system for physician quality. He went on to explain how this data produced reliable scores on quality. The idea that data hooks up and produces a true scoring system for quality is a fantasy. Not only is data […]
Real Patient Empowerment Depends on Real Performance Measurement
“Patient empowerment” is a new term to watch. It’s a banner for some health care reform initiatives being proposed in lieu of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In fact, “Empowering Patients First” is the title of legislation introduced by Congressman Tom Price (nominee for Secretary of the Department of Health & Human Services, which oversees Medicare […]