Reform to Advance Quality-Driven Cost Containment in Healthcare
The Pittsburgh Prescription for Healthcare Reform was four primary regional foci:
- Work Process Improvement
- Chronic Disease Prevention and Management
- Health Information Technology
- Payment Reform
These topics simultaneously advance safer, error-free and waste-free care, promote best practices and remove non-value healthcare costs.
Please review related information below and join the coalition to actively participate in regional initiatives that advance quality driven cost containment.
Pittsburgh Prescription is administered by the Pittsburgh Regional Health Initiative, the federal Department of Health and Human Services' designated Community Leader.
Tools for Regional Reform
Work Process Improvement Lend Forward
Experts in the areas of Toyota Production System (TPS), Baldridge, Six Sigma, Lean and other quality improvement efforts are difficult to find in the area of healthcare improvement.
Healthcare professionals have little to no training in process improvement, complex systems improvement or work redesign.
Pittsburgh Prescription invites you to “lend forward” your experts in TPS, Baldridge, Six Sigma, Lean and other quality improvement efforts to PRHI and its partners.
PRHI and its partners can learn a great deal from companies run by experienced and talented leaders who have been successful at effecting change and improvement at their institutions.
Workplace Support for Chronic Disease Prevention and Management
The care of chronic illnesses is the dominant expense in health care today, absorbing 83% of every dollar spent on health care. An effective model of care is available which could more effectively address this growing problem, but it requires a fundamental redesign of our healthcare delivery system and reimbursement policies.
Pittsburgh Prescription invites you to enroll in the employer-funded “Living My Life” program, which trains traditionally under-utilized pharmacists to take a more active role in helping employees manage their chronic diseases; join the newly forming multi-stakeholder groups; and collaborate with insurers on worksite wellness programs and disease management programs.
Results may include happier, healthier workforce with fewer work days lost due to chronic illnesses and lower costs from avoided complications and hospitalizations.
Our current healthcare system is characterized by “silos” of care working in isolation from one another, both within and among provider institutions. This lack of coordinated care creates critical information gaps in patient treatment that can lead to patient safety issues, wasted time for patients and providers tracking down and transmitting information, and costly redundancy of procedures and lab testing when information is missing. Many of the problems caused by the lack of complete patient medical records and lack of data sharing between providers can be resolved through electronic medical record (EMR) systems that can communicate with one another. Health IT programs like e-prescribing can eliminate medication errors due to illegible handwriting, or dangerous drug interactions.
Pittsburgh Prescription invites you to promote regional interoperability of medical records and identify regional strategies for supporting investment in EMRs, especially in smaller physician practices with low capital.
Results may include functional interoperability of medical data shared between multiple providers, fewer adverse events or complications related to uncoordinated care, reduced costs from redundant care, and availability of regional data sharing.
Healthcare providers have no incentive to meet the goals of purchasers: best health outcomes, most efficiently delivered. Providers don't get rewarded when they do offer the highest quality at the lowest price. Purchasers pay a high price for error, inefficiency, and poor outcomes. Payors are waiting for purchasers to act – to demand real measurements of quality, seek high performers, and have payment align with quality.
Pittsburgh Prescription invites you to work with provider groups and payors to develop systems which measure real quality, real costs of care, and current payment incentives. A subsequent collaboration with providers and payors in regional demonstrations can develop new payment/savings models that reward quality and efficiency.
Results may include better measures and transparency of quality and (mis)aligned rewards, lower costs of providing and purchasing care, and increased motivation to increase value.
To join the Coalition, contact us.