While employers have long engaged in health care quality improvement efforts, the range of such activities has until recently been limited to promoting national accreditation, performance measurement, and targeted disease management. But some employers, typically working through regional coalitions, have begun to pursue improvement initiatives that may have a more lasting impact on cost and quality. Read more »
An Ohio-based collaborative of local employers, physicians, and a hospital system pooled data from employee health claims to find variation in the quality and cost of treatment of their employees. The collaborative encouraged physicians to follow standardized treatment protocols, especially for chronic conditions such as hypertension and diabetes. The hospital system also redesigned its care practices for diabetic patients to improve outcomes and reduce lengths of stay. The effort has provided a way for physicians to suggest changes to employer benefit programs that encourage patients to seek more preventive care and increase medication adherence. Read more »
An audio interview with Karen Wolk Feinstein, Ph.D., president and CEO, Pittsburgh Regional Health Initiative Read more »
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