As we continue to focus on improving the quality of care we deliver to those we serve, having benchmarks and external comparisons are essential. Granted we all aspire to zero harm; however, we are not here yet. Comparing our improvement to ourselves is laudable but does not give a clear indication of progress. Unquestionably, for those of us… Read More »
As we continue to grapple with various disease states like obesity and diabetes, which impact a significant number of people, our ability to change human behaviors is minimal. We continuously design interventions that include education and behavioral modification with limited results. In essence, we appear to be attempting to prevent water from streaming out of the hose by… Read More »
Recently, there is a tremendous amount of focus on the value of social interventions and healthcare costs. To be of optimal help to the greater society, it is important for us to thoroughly understand how to investigate the value of such interventions. In the journal, Health Affairs, a recent study by Kangovi et al. investigates the return on… Read More »
A commonly held premise of shared decision-making is that the healthcare profession neither adequately gives specific treatment options nor discusses the trade-offs of surgical intervention. Predominantly, the thought is that if more in-depth conversations were to occur concerning the trade-offs, and there is more appropriate management of expectations, the chosen solution would be the more conservative approach. With… Read More »
During this pandemic, I am blessed to have a son finishing his senior year of college from our home. Candidly, it was fascinating to observe the dynamics of the educational process through a digital platform. It became apparent, rather quickly, that some, but not all professors excelled utilizing the online platforms; and some struggled to hold their student’s… Read More »
There is a tremendous amount of focus on the value of social interventions like housing and food stability, on the cost of healthcare. For the benefit of all, we must learn how to investigate the value of these interventions. A recent study in Health Affairs by Kangovi et al. examines the return on investment for an evidenced-based community… Read More »
As we continue to focus on value-based care, with particular attention being put on the social needs of those we serve, how these investments are made is important. Historically, funding for this was part of the public health sector, either by governmental or philanthropic funding. However, as we move towards value-based payment models, other delivery entities begin to… Read More »
Undeniably, individual rights are foundational to our civil liberties. However, we are also socially minded, meaning thinking beyond individual needs, and therefore, we must bridge this polarity. From a care perspective, these dualities remain in two different verticals,1. medical care/treatment, and 2. public health. For example, when I discuss a condition and treatment options with a patient, the… Read More »
“Hot-spotting” is a method in healthcare to identify areas for intervention. The premise suggests, if I can identify a segment that is responsible for most of a situation and change its trajectory, a positive outcome will occur. This premise is the basis for disease management, and now value-based care concerning social determinants of health. However, a recent randomized… Read More »
Overall, we focus a considerable amount of time and energy on physician accountability for delivering value to those we serve. However, with consistently increasing costs to the consumer, there is less conversation concerning their responsibility. Currently, there is a societal debate asking what exactly, are the duties of individuals involving their own health and well-being. Undeniably, patients’ behavior… Read More »