The Washington Health Alliance has found that low-value or wasteful healthcare services accounted for $282 million in unnecessary healthcare spending from July 2015 to June 2016, according to a report titled, First, Do No Harm: Calculating Health Care Waste in Washington State.
The Washington Health Alliance has found that low-value or wasteful healthcare services accounted for $282 million in unnecessary healthcare spending from July 2015 to June 2016, according to a report titled, First, Do No Harm: Calculating Health Care Waste in Washington State.
The report analyzed 1.3 million patients across the state and found that nearly half of patients received commonly overused, low-value care evaluated by the new MedInsight Health Waste Calculator from the actuarial consulting firm Milliman.
Low-value services are wasteful or overused medical tests and procedures that have no significant benefit on the patient. Potential physical, emotional, or financial harm can also be a result of low-value health services. Patient safety can only be improved when harm is addressed in association with the delivery of healthcare.
Included in the evaluation were 47 common tests, procedures, and treatments that are considered overused by the US Preventive Services Task Force and the Choosing Wisely initiative. While overused services are individually low cost, the high volumes of wasteful procedures and tests adds up among the population.
Researchers found that 36% of healthcare spending went to low-value treatments and procedures, while 93% of overuse was attributed to 11 out of the 47 common treatments. These procedures or tests include preoperative tests and lab studies prior to low-risk surgery, too frequent cancer screenings, eye imaging tests for people without significant eye disease, annual electrocardiogram tests or cardiac screening for people with low risk of heart disease, and imaging for uncomplicated conditions, such as low back pain.
Choosing Wisely reminds patients that they have the right to ask themselves if a medical test or procedure is necessary. In addition, physicians and patients should have conversations about appropriate, evidence-based medical care.
"This is a pioneering report for Washington state's healthcare community," Nancy A. Giunto, executive director of the Washington Health Alliance, said in a statement. "Being able to measure specific areas of waste in the healthcare system is an important step forward. The results are stunning and provide a clear opportunity to educate patients and engage healthcare stakeholders on areas of improvement."
Real-World Study Reveals Key Insights into DLBCL Treatment Patterns, Outcomes
April 18th 2024A recent study offers valuable insights into the characteristics, treatment patterns, and outcomes of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in patients across different lines of therapy, providing a look into the landscape of DLBCL management.
Read More
Overcoming Employment Barriers for Lasting Social Impact: Freedom House 2.0 and Pathways to Work
April 16th 2024To help celebrate and recognize National Minority Health Month, we are bringing you a special month-long podcast series with our Strategic Alliance Partner, UPMC Health Plan. Welcome to our second episode, in which we learn all about Freedom House 2.0 and the Pathways to Work program.
Listen
Gene, Light Therapy Combo Shows Promise Against Prostate Cancer Cells in Proof-of-Concept Study
April 18th 2024In their preclinical model, the researchers found efficacy both in vitro and in vivo by using CRISPR-Cas9 to mimic porphyria and combining the technology with light therapy.
Read More
Making Giant Strides in Maternity Health Through Baby Steps
April 9th 2024To help celebrate and recognize National Minority Health Month, we are kicking off a special month-long podcast series with our strategic alliance partner, UPMC Health Plan. Welcome to our first episode, which is all about the Baby Steps Maternity Program and its mission to support women throughout every step of their pregnancy journey.
Listen
Collecting SDOH Data Can Assess Risk of Medical Nonadherence, Improve HEI and Star Ratings
April 18th 2024At the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) 2024 annual meeting, a panel of presenters explored changes coming to Medicare that incorporate social determinants of health (SDOH) data to improve patient and health system outcomes.
Read More