Overview

This case study explores two innovations in pharmacy management at the Henry Ford Health System.

This Detroit-based health system experimented with the use of an expensive new drug for treating deep vein thrombosis. Its goal was to prevent or shorten hospitalization for the condition. The study found that the use of this drug—low molecular weight heparin—can reduce hospitalizations, shorten lengths of stay, and lower overall costs by $800 per patient. In effect, there was a compelling business case for the use of the drug, especially for an integrated health system operating with capitated payments.

For an overview of this and other business case for quality case studies, see this Health Affairs article, The Business Case For Quality: Case Studies And An Analysis, by Sheila Leatherman, Donald Berwick, Debra Iles et al.

This study was based on publicly available information and self-reported data provided by the case study institution(s). The aim of Fund-sponsored case studies of this type is to identify institutions that have achieved results indicating high performance in a particular area, have undertaken innovations designed to reach higher performance, or exemplify attributes that can foster high performance. The studies are intended to enable other institutions to draw lessons from the studied organizations' experiences in ways that may aid their own efforts to become high performers. The Commonwealth Fund is not an accreditor of health care organizations or systems, and the inclusion of an institution in the Fund's case studies series is not an endorsement by the Fund for receipt of health care from the institution.

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