Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan's efforts to improve the quality of common medical procedures performed in Michigan hospitals over a three-year period have produced $232.8 million in healthcare cost savings and have lowered complication and mortality rates for thousands of patients.
More than 70 hospitals across Michigan participated in at least one of four collaborative quality initiatives, which covered covering general surgery, bariatric surgery, angioplasty and cardiac surgery. The hospitals shared data to find links between medical or surgical processes and patient outcomes and then created new processes that reduce errors, prevent complications and improve patient outcomes. Cost savings for the four programs studied break down as follows:
• Michigan Surgical Quality Collaborative (general surgery) 2009-2010: $85.9 million statewide savings; $49.2 million BCBS Michigan savings
• Michigan Society of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons Quality Collaborative (cardiac and thoracic surgery) 2009-2010: $30.3 million statewide savings; $2.4 million BCBS Michigan savings
• BCBS Michigan Cardiovascular Consortium (angioplasty) 2008-2010: $10.2 million statewide savings; $13.8 million BCBS Michigan savings
• Michigan Bariatric Surgery Collaborative (bariatric surgery) 2008-2010: $14.6 million statewide savings; $4.7 million BCBS Michigan savings
These quality improvement efforts also yielded significant improvements in patient outcomes, including mortality rates, radiation dosage and surgical site infections.
In addition to the four quality improvement initiatives, eight other collaboratives are underway to study cardiovascular imaging, peripheral vascular disease, blood clot prevention, breast cancer, trauma center quality, operating room safety, hip and knee replacement and radiation treatment for cancer.
More than 70 hospitals across Michigan participated in at least one of four collaborative quality initiatives, which covered covering general surgery, bariatric surgery, angioplasty and cardiac surgery. The hospitals shared data to find links between medical or surgical processes and patient outcomes and then created new processes that reduce errors, prevent complications and improve patient outcomes. Cost savings for the four programs studied break down as follows:
• Michigan Surgical Quality Collaborative (general surgery) 2009-2010: $85.9 million statewide savings; $49.2 million BCBS Michigan savings
• Michigan Society of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons Quality Collaborative (cardiac and thoracic surgery) 2009-2010: $30.3 million statewide savings; $2.4 million BCBS Michigan savings
• BCBS Michigan Cardiovascular Consortium (angioplasty) 2008-2010: $10.2 million statewide savings; $13.8 million BCBS Michigan savings
• Michigan Bariatric Surgery Collaborative (bariatric surgery) 2008-2010: $14.6 million statewide savings; $4.7 million BCBS Michigan savings
These quality improvement efforts also yielded significant improvements in patient outcomes, including mortality rates, radiation dosage and surgical site infections.
In addition to the four quality improvement initiatives, eight other collaboratives are underway to study cardiovascular imaging, peripheral vascular disease, blood clot prevention, breast cancer, trauma center quality, operating room safety, hip and knee replacement and radiation treatment for cancer.
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