News and Media

Welcome to Quality Buzz. Quality Buzz is dedicated to bringing you all the latest news and information to help you improve the quality of your health care. We update this section weekly and hope that it will become an important resource for you.

July 28, 2009 — Reform and Improving Quality of Care

People across the country are wondering how health care reform will affect them and the care they receive. There are several promising measures in the reform bills that may improve quality of care. There are plans for comparative effectiveness research to determine which treatments are best, but would not force doctors to use them. Reformers hope to reduce needless readmissions to hospitals. And there is a call for pilot programs in Medicare to test the best ways for doctors to manage and coordinate a patient's total care. These are promising changes for more patient-centered care.

An article in The New York Times last week looks at the benefits of preventive care. Studies have shown that preventive care has limited net cost savings. However, preventive care has been shown to have a large positive impact on value as measured by QALY, a measurement used by economists to determine the cost to save a comparable year of life. QALY may sound harsh, but it helps policy makers think through the relative value of services. For example, childhood immunizations, as measured by QALY are bargains — less than $5000 per QALY gained. As long as the focus of the health care debate stays on savings and not value, it's unlikely that preventative care will take on a greater role in patient care.

The CDC estimates that up to 40% of Americans could get swine flu through next year and several hundred thousand could die if the U.S. doesn't implement a successful vaccine campaign and other public health measures. Health officials said they expect cases of the flu to increase substantially after school begins in the fall, about the time the first vaccines will be ready. The Partnership is planning to work with local health officials in New Bedford and Worcester on infection prevention programs for the fall. For fact sheets and materials on how to prevent infection visit our website. If you are a member of a PTO or other community group that's interested in getting the word out about infection prevention please be in touch with us at info@partnershipforhealthcare.org.

A new website for rating doctors is being launched by Consumers' Checkbook, an independent non-profit that rates other consumer services. What possibly sets this website apart from other sites is the fact that it surveys consumers using questions developed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The website is starting out small — in just Denver, Memphis and Kansas City. We'll be monitoring it to see if it's successful and if it comes to the Northeast.
 

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