On the Topic of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery

In over sixteen hundred articles published since 2000, the value of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) is irrefutably clear – “ERAS optimizes operative functional status to improve clinical outcome and patient satisfaction.” ERAS concepts are a comprehensive patient care movement that originated in Europe. By treating undesirable perioperative pathophysiologic processes, like colorectal surgery, which was the first surgery… Read More »

How do people determine the quality of physicians?

Understanding precisely how individuals consume and translate clinical quality information is imperative as we continue to focus on delivering value to those we serve. Now a very data-driven industry, our focus centers on the reliability and accuracy of the data itself. However, this is only half the problem. The method in which we share this information followed by… Read More »

Patient, Person, Customer, Member; Which one is Appropriate?

One of my earliest blogs discusses the difference between using the words person and patient to describe those we serve. We use numerous descriptions, depending on what part of the healthcare ecosystem and the message one is delivering. Health plans frequently refer to those they serve as members, whereas physicians and hospitals use the term patients, patient advocacy… Read More »

Can’t We All Just Get Along?

Understanding Why Hospitals, payers and physicians must work together If we want to continue to increase the value to those we serve; it is crucial to recognize that partnerships are necessary. Thus, it is essential that physicians, hospitals, and payers work together in innovative ways and cost-effectively elevate care and services. Historically, not only has each focused on… Read More »

What Data Should We Give Our Patients?

In healthcare,  we continue to increase our focus on preventing illness and disease. With prevention, we also must balance the polarity of whether the preventive treatment outweighs the risks involved. For instance, the association of vaccine usage with possible long-term impacts prevails in the minds of numerous people still, even though the research has staunchly supported their benefit… Read More »

How can the Digital Age Help Us Track and Impact the Social Determinants of Health?

Unlike collecting clinical information and medical claims, collecting the data on social determinants of health is much more challenging. Social determinants of health are understood by most to be the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age. Historically, the tried and true method to determine these entailed either using demographic data, usually based on… Read More »

Who Should We Focus on to Reduce Costs?

We need to consider several things when we ask a question like “Who Should we focus on to reduce healthcare costs?” In healthcare a modest percentage of patients define a disproportionate amount of expense, i.e., 20-30% of our unhealthy account for 70-80% of healthcare costs. Therefore, it is logical to focus on these individuals if we want to… Read More »

Reducing Unnecessary Procedures is Not as Easy as it Seems!

Shared decision making

With the initiative of Choosing Wisely, which was introduced to the healthcare community in 2012, there has been an intentional focus on decreasing unnecessary testing such as CTs, MRIs, and labs. Superfluous medical treatment, tests, and procedures lead to not only increased cost, but also the potential for higher incidents of unintended harm. Incidental findings frequently lead to… Read More »

Follow the Money and You will Glimpse the Future

Competition and regulation

There is a saying that if you follow the money, you will spot what is on the horizon. Without a doubt, digital health is within our visual sphere. Digital Health Companies have an abundance of funding, and biosensor development seems to be a specific area of interest. As many know biosensor products have been successful in achieving a… Read More »

Maybe the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program is on to Something?

Mandatory vaccinations highlight the polarity on the debate between the rights of individual choice versus the betterment of the community. On one side of the discussion is the desire to promote personal choice. Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, proponents against mandatory vaccination programs point out the possible risk of vaccinations as a reason for an opt-in model.… Read More »