Hospital Consolidation leads to Higher Prices

Hospital consolidation occurs in some regions to form strong alliances with which to negotiate better payments from insurers. The ideal of consolidation leading to streamlined care and improved quality remains elusive. The latest Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Synthesis Project discusses Continue Reading …

Clinical Decision Support is Cost-Effective

Clinical decision support systems incorporated within electronic medical records have the potential to save health costs. When not cost-saving, CDS systems demonstrate cost-effective ways to achieve improved clinical outcomes. Only twenty percent of patients with diabetes in 2008 reached goals Continue Reading …

Will Value Based Purchasing Work?

The Premier Pay-for-Performance Demonstration project in Medicare shows a tapering trend of quality improvement both for participating and non-participating hospitals. Perhaps secular trends, not P4P, are responsible for this. The National Demonstration Project is a national pay-for-performance program considered to Continue Reading …

Naturalize to Stay Alive

Social determinants possess a tremendous impact on health outcomes. A Belgian study shows the correlation between perinatal death and immigration status. It serves as clarion call to US health and immigration policy makers. Disparities in neonatal mortality and pregnancy outcomes Continue Reading …