Pricey Problems

The Hospitalist
March 9, 2011

Hospitalists working to reduce readmissions and medication errors would do well to consider a new policy report that suggests the two systemic problems cost the healthcare system $46 billion a year.

The white paper sets out to identify specific actions—such as creating detailed discharge plans, having pharmacists make follow-up calls after discharge, and using bar-code technology to verify drug dosages—that public and private decision-makers can use to help tackle the issues. While the bureaucratic checklist devised by the New England Healthcare Institute (NEHI) and the National Priorities Partnership is a good broad brush, the report's value may lie in how it prods physicians to change the way care is delivered...

Nelson says NEHI's "compact action briefs" suggest that payment bundling is one answer to wasteful spending. However, while hospitalists agree the payment system needs work, they caution against the potential consequences of such a drastic shift.

"It really makes the case to move away from the fee-for-service model," Nelson says. "What we need to do is redesign the system to cover the patient regardless of encounter or what the driver is."

Link to Full Article: http://www.the-hospitalist.org/details/article/1032467/Pricey_Problems.html