Monday, August 04, 2008

Chronic care: do we need an entirely new model of delivery? - NewTalk

Chronic care: do we need an entirely new model of delivery? - NewTalk: "Why overhaul chronic care delivery? For starters, about 75% of health care spending goes toward chronic conditions, and our panelists agreed that the current system is plagued by waste and poor quality.

What can America do about it? Panelists suggested eliminating one primary villain-the fee-for-service approach-in favor of the medical home or other new models that offer coordinated care and continuity of providers. This new paradigm opens the door to a patient-provider relationship marked by a two-way sense of responsibility.

Everyone recognized the potential barriers to implementation: Peggy O'Kane offered a 'multi-stakeholder approach' as an antidote to the stifling influence of interest groups; while Tim Jost suggested that regulatory waivers will be essential to clearing the way for innovation.

Other challenges brought to the table include: creating incentives for engaging patients in their own health, developing a nationwide system of health care IT, and insuring that new programs dovetail into the larger system of acute and preventative care."

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