Physicians and patients may define value in healthcare differently, which impedes progress in creating value, according to a commentary in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The current narrative of creating value in healthcare — better care at lower cost — includes a focus on practicing evidence-based medicine and improving patient satisfaction. This approach fails to recognize that evidence-based practices may sometimes conflict with patients' expectations or desires. For example, several studies have shown that patients who receive imaging, even if unnecessary, report higher satisfaction than patients who do not have imaging tests, according to the commentary.
"We must admit that turning healthcare into a customer-service industry may to some extent undermine the delivery of evidence-based care. And we must admit how little we actually know about patients' values and about how they should or might influence our decision making, the delivery of evidence-based care, rising costs and patient outcomes," the author wrote.
She suggests creating a definition of value that is shared between patients and physicians and acknowledging the interaction of patients' expectations and physicians' practices rather than looking at patients and physicians in isolation.
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The current narrative of creating value in healthcare — better care at lower cost — includes a focus on practicing evidence-based medicine and improving patient satisfaction. This approach fails to recognize that evidence-based practices may sometimes conflict with patients' expectations or desires. For example, several studies have shown that patients who receive imaging, even if unnecessary, report higher satisfaction than patients who do not have imaging tests, according to the commentary.
"We must admit that turning healthcare into a customer-service industry may to some extent undermine the delivery of evidence-based care. And we must admit how little we actually know about patients' values and about how they should or might influence our decision making, the delivery of evidence-based care, rising costs and patient outcomes," the author wrote.
She suggests creating a definition of value that is shared between patients and physicians and acknowledging the interaction of patients' expectations and physicians' practices rather than looking at patients and physicians in isolation.
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