Healthcare leaders need to take action to reduce the overuse of services that drive higher costs but do not improve patient outcomes, according to a report funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
The report, called "Doing Better by Doing Less: Approaches to Tackle Overuse of Services," was written by Robert A. Berenson, MD, an institute fellow at the Urban Institute, and Elizabeth Docteur, an independent health policy consultant. They reviewed research on the overuse of unnecessary or inappropriate services, discussed why prior attempts to reduce this practice failed and possibilities for payment models to incentivize a reduction of unnecessary or inappropriate services.
The authors offer several steps healthcare leaders can take to address the overuse of high-cost, low-quality services:
• Invest in research comparing the effectiveness of alternative treatment approaches
• Strategically prioritize promising research areas for future investment
• Improve the transition of research into practice. Determine how to best use available evidence.
• Collect and share data with providers on the overuse of inappropriate services.
• Use payment models that incentivize reducing the overuse of inappropriate services
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The report, called "Doing Better by Doing Less: Approaches to Tackle Overuse of Services," was written by Robert A. Berenson, MD, an institute fellow at the Urban Institute, and Elizabeth Docteur, an independent health policy consultant. They reviewed research on the overuse of unnecessary or inappropriate services, discussed why prior attempts to reduce this practice failed and possibilities for payment models to incentivize a reduction of unnecessary or inappropriate services.
The authors offer several steps healthcare leaders can take to address the overuse of high-cost, low-quality services:
• Invest in research comparing the effectiveness of alternative treatment approaches
• Strategically prioritize promising research areas for future investment
• Improve the transition of research into practice. Determine how to best use available evidence.
• Collect and share data with providers on the overuse of inappropriate services.
• Use payment models that incentivize reducing the overuse of inappropriate services
More Articles on Overutilization in Healthcare:
A Look From Within: Why Are U.S. Healthcare Costs so High?Adding Value to Healthcare by Eliminating Waste: Q&A With Virginia Mason Medical Center CEO Dr. Gary Kaplan
Radiology Group Updates Evidence-Based Guidelines for Imaging