3 Questions on...Triaging Patientsʼ Symptoms to Improve Quality of Care, Reduce Costs

Shared decision making to improve care and reduce costs.

n engl j med 368;1 nejm.org january 3, 2013 6 requirement substantially burdens the religious beliefs of employers. Two courts have observed that the rule does not require employers to use contraceptives or even to approve of their use. It asks the employer only to make a benefit available, which the employee must then decide whether or not to use. Employers object, however, that they should no...

How palliative care can reduce healthcare costs & improve quality of care

The sustainability of the healthcare system has been in question for several years. With rising healthcare costs, limited resources and an aging population, society needs to come up with innovative ideas to reduce healthcare spending. This paper attempts to illustrate how addressing goals of care can have a significant impact on healthcare costs.

Transforming Health Care Payment and Delivery Systems to Improve Quality and Reduce Costs

Does intermediate care improve patient outcomes or reduce costs?

ICUs are an essential but expensive part of all modern hospitals. With increasingly limited healthcare funding, methods to reduce expenditure without negatively influencing patient outcomes are, therefore, of interest. One possible solution has been the development of 'intermediate care units', which provide more intensive monitoring and patient management with higher nurse:patient ratios than ...

Four Health Care Organizations’ Efforts to Improve Patient Care and Reduce Costs

This report synthesizes findings and lessons from case studies of four diverse health care organizations participating in the Brookings–Dartmouth ACO Pilot Program, launched in 2009 to support selected provider groups that are collaborating with private payers to form accountable care organizations (ACOs). The organizations are: HealthCare Partners, a medical group/independent practice associat...