Health Care Experts Say National Agenda, Payment Reform Needed to Improve Quality and Safety
<p>The keys to improving the quality and safety of health care include implementing a national quality agenda, reforming the way health care providers are paid, and integrating provider care, according to the latest <a href="/cnlib/pub/enews_clickthrough.htm?enews_item_id=29349&return_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ecommonwealthfund%2Eorg%2Fsurveys%2Fsurveys%5Fshow%2Ehtm%3Fdoc%5Fid%3D511225%26%23doc511225">Commonwealth Fund Health Care Opinion Leaders Survey</a>.<br><br>The survey, conducted among a diverse group of health care experts from across the nation, found that more than half support the creation of a new public-private entity to coordinate quality efforts and form a national quality agenda. Moreover, nearly all experts agreed that fundamental payment reform is needed, while three-fourths said that greater organization and integration of provider care are necessary to effect improvements in quality and efficiency.<br><br>This is the 11th in the Fund's series of Health Care Opinion Leaders surveys, and the third conducted in partnership with <em>Modern Healthcare</em> magazine.<br><br>For analysis and discussion of the survey findings, read our data brief, <a href="/cnlib/pub/enews_clickthrough.htm?enews_item_id=29348&return_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ecommonwealthfund%2Eorg%2Fpublications%2Fpublications%5Fshow%2Ehtm%3Fdoc%5Fid%3D511967%26%23doc511967">Health Care Opinion Leaders' Views on the Quality and Safety of Health Care in the United States</a>. And for additional perspective, read commentaries by two former Secretaries of Health and Human Services, <a href="/cnlib/pub/enews_clickthrough.htm?enews_item_id=29351&return_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ecommonwealthfund%2Eorg%2Fpublications%2Fpublications%5Fshow%2Ehtm%3Fdoc%5Fid%3D510805%26%23doc510805">Donna E. Shalala</a> and <a href="/cnlib/pub/enews_clickthrough.htm?enews_item_id=29350&return_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ecommonwealthfund%2Eorg%2Fpublications%2Fpublications%5Fshow%2Ehtm%3Fdoc%5Fid%3D510819%26%23doc510819">Tommy G. Thompson</a>.</p>
http://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/newsletters/ealerts/2007/jul/health-care-experts-say-national-agenda--payment-reform-needed-to-improve-quality-and-safety