Roji Intel Blog

Theresa Hush 1
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Future of Health CareMedical Decision-MakingPatient Empowerment
March 22, 2017

Health Care Price Transparency for Consumers Starts with Provider Action

“Consumer choice” is at the heart of the national health care debate. This presumes access to accurate information about costs. While consumers woke up to health care costs a few years ago as their share began to rise, they lack the necessary facts to make intelligent decisions about the quantity and quality of what they are purchasing. As costs continue skyward, this crucial information, especially price transparency, is what consumers are now demanding. But health care pricing remains a mystery that can’t be solved by consumers, on their own. While “pricing” to consumers includes insurance premiums and payments to providers, only…
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Theresa Hush 0
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Future of Health CareMedical Decision-MakingPatient Empowerment
March 14, 2017

Fast Forward: Why Patients Should Own Their Medical Records

Up to now, who owns patient medical records hasn’t been a big issue. In fact, the “who owns” question has been largely confined to provider purchasing discussions regarding health care data analytics or other sharing of patient records, when providers want to assert their ownership of the data. Patients have had no voice in this conversation. Few people question the provider’s ownership of a patient’s record, which is supported by state statutes (only one state grants ownership to patients) as well as the rare case of litigation. All that changes going forward. Why? Because big revisions in health insurance will…
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Robert McNutt, M.D. 0
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Future of Health CareMedical Decision-MakingPatient EmpowermentResearch
February 21, 2017

For Patients, “Trust Me” Is No Longer Good Enough for Medical Decision-Making

It’s time to rethink ideologies of medical care that no longer make sense. The following may sound revolutionary, but are nonetheless true: Patients are the future leaders in medical care. Patients must and can make their own medical decisions after being informed. Patients can and must learn to discern useless from useful information. Science must improve to match the increasing abilities of patients. At present, none of these concepts are fully embraced by the business of medicine and, in fact, may be a 180-degree reversal from the way things work now. So, why are these statements important? Because getting the…
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Theresa Hush 0
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Future of Health CareMedical Decision-MakingPatient EmpowermentPerformance Improvement
February 14, 2017

Turning Patients into Health Care Consumers—For Economic Survival

If we want to help people take better charge of their health—both physically and financially—we should start by treating them as real consumers, instead of patients. While that may seem like a simple change in terminology, it is anything but. A Patient Is a Recipient of Services, Not the Actor Health care organizations often work hard to welcome patients and provide as many services as needed. They design facilities to be comfortable, and there are often superb training programs for staff to be courteous, communicative, and to make patients comfortable. But let’s be honest. Health care is a business concern,…
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Theresa Hush 0
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Future of Health CarePatient EmpowermentPerformance Improvement
January 24, 2017

Real Patient Empowerment Depends on Real Performance Measurement

“Patient empowerment” is a new term to watch. It’s a banner for some health care reform initiatives being proposed in lieu of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In fact, “Empowering Patients First” is the title of legislation introduced by Congressman Tom Price (nominee for Secretary of the Department of Health & Human Services, which oversees Medicare and Medicaid) to replace the ACA. Empowering patients can be very positive, if they have the appropriate tools to make the health care system work to improve their health status. What Exactly Is Patient Empowerment? But what does “patient empowerment” actually mean within the current…
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Theresa Hush 0
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Future of Health CareMerit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS)Value-Based Health Care
December 20, 2016

New Year’s Prediction: More Cost Sharing for Patients Means Problems for Providers

A year ago we reported on the trend in shifting health care costs to the consumer through higher deductibles, copayments and premium sharing. Fast forward to 2017: expect to see “financial accountability” for patients vastly increase, as health care costs continue their relentless rise and the public policies that support premium subsidies, Obamacare, Medicare and Medicaid expansion, research and innovative provider-based models are weakened or reversed. In general, the politics of the moment are ushering in simple economic concepts: Reduce the complexity, cap costs, minimize bureaucracy. When government or employers contemplate giving patients a fixed contribution for health care, possibly through…
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Thomas Dent, M.D. 0
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Future of Health CareMedical Decision-MakingPerformance ImprovementRegistry ScienceResearchValue-Based Health Care
October 11, 2016

Physician Culture Must Transition from Defensiveness to Performance Improvement

Physicians undergo long and arduous training, with good reason. Lives are at stake. Learning to make the correct diagnosis, to expertly perform the appropriate procedure and to properly treat conditions is essential. Mistakes or flaws are scrutinized and not tolerated. Being wrong may cause greater harm to the patient—and lead to malpractice litigation. In short, physician culture places a premium on individual performance and responsibility. Steeped in those values, most physicians take great pride in the quality of care they deliver to patients, in the examination room or the surgical suite. Teams who provide specialized services, such as Emergency Departments,…
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Robert McNutt, M.D. 0
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Medical Decision-MakingPopulation HealthQualified Clinical Data Registry ReportingRegistry ScienceResearch
January 13, 2015

Are “Flat-Line” Outcomes the Kiss of Death? How to Use a Registry for Outcomes Improvement Research

Despite a huge investment in health care, we have yet to demonstrate real progress in improving outcomes. A major study of patient outcomes last year revealed disappointing “flat-line” results for patient-centered medical home services, which means no difference in outcomes over time, regardless of significant expenditures. And that’s just the beginning.  Assessments of cancer outcomes, preventive screenings and chronic disease indicators show similar, disappointing results. It’s hard to accept that we have failed to improve mortality or morbidity in a way that can be attributed to medical management and treatment, rather than to lifestyle and nutrition. In most cases, however, that’s where…
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Robert McNutt, M.D. 0
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Population HealthResearch
October 22, 2014

Research Revolution: Why Everyday Medical Decisions Need More Science

How can a physician know when a treatment actually works? Let’s examine the case of outcomes for patients with asymptomatic bacteriuria. In a recent study, patients with the diagnosis were randomized to receive either an antibiotic or a placebo; the outcome measure was the proportion who developed symptomatic bacteriuria. The findings? Both groups had nearly the same proportion of symptomatic bacteriuria at the end of the study. Clearly, the antibiotic made no difference in outcomes. But this can be a hard sell, not only for patients who expect their physicians to “do something,” but also for physicians, who believe that…
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