Carrie Colla, a researcher with the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, discusses in a new Commonwealth Fund–supported study (New England Journal of Medicine, Oct. 14, 2014) the pros and cons of financial and educational programs that enlist patients and providers in efforts to reduce the use of "low value" care. As much as one-third of U.S. health spending goes toward services whose costs outweigh potential benefits.
How to Reduce Low-Value Care
