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What Does Value Based Medicine Mean to You and Multiple Sclerosis?

3/18/2014

 
Value based medicine has become a recurring theme of health care reform for the past 5 years. The reasons are quite simple. In all developed countries, spending on health care increases in direct proportion to GDP but improvements in health outcomes tend to plateau as spending on health care exceeds 10% of GDP. Think about this as our health care expenditures approach 18% of GDP in the United States; if this statement is true then approximately 1.2 trillion dollars in health care spending per year is not achieving desired outcomes or at worst is wasteful, unnecessary or fraudulent.

So we return to the question, how do we define value in medicine? The corollary to this statement is, when does a procedure or treatment or other billable medical act warrant the costs of that act? Costs in the scenario could be defined as dollar costs, costs from adverse effects or lost quality of life for some interval of time. For decades doctors have argued that patients did not have the training or information to determine quality and value in medicine. This paternalistic and condescending approach to decision making in medicine will continue to fall apart as long as you, the patients, remained engaged in the process. There are many things that can be said about President Obama, but his Affordable Care and Portability Act did create a new agency called the Patient Centered Outcome Research Institute (PCORI) that is tasked with involving patients in the process of determining value in medicine.

So it is time for all of you to think about what it means to achieve value in your MS care; you’ve lived it and know the good and the bad of what we have to offer. So let’s hear your thoughts on this topic. What is of value to you in your current care and what would be of greater value to you that is not currently available.  Let me give you some ideas to respond to in your replies:

Do you value luxurious medical office suites or are the basics okay with certain features like friendly knowledgeable staff and WiFi while you wait?

Do you value being able to see or contact your doctor or health care provider when you have a problem or concern?

Do you value a doctor who takes the time to explain things to you?

What is the minimally acceptable time for an appt with your MS doctor ? 10, 20, 30, 40 minutes?

Do you value transparency in insurance coverage prior to signing up? For instance, are you able to find out if an insurance plan covers MRI scans or all the treatments you may be interested in receiving before you sign up for the plan?

Would you not value the development of a blood test that could predict your likelihood of responding to a treatment?

Would you value greater practical advice from your doctors and health care providers on services they often do not  learn enough about in the course of their training such as basics in ambulatory aids, wheelchair seating, diet, exercise and complementary and alternative care?

Do you value preventing relapses or preventing disability? Or is your overall goal maintaining or improving quality of life?

Do you value the health care journey website where you can go for free to get expert advice and answers to important MS related questions? What would increase the value of the site for you.

Just some things for you all to think about as we try to improve the value of medicine through this web site.

-Dr. Kinkel

Alicia
4/12/2014 02:18:02 pm

In the day of fairly well informed consumers, it somewhat blows my mind what happens to people once they are placed in a hospital bed. Granted some patients are quite ill or critical when admitted. But, for those that are not, like coming in for an elective surgery, or treatment of a chronic condition, education and communication are grossly lacking. I have had so many patients arrive to the unit and immediately become helpless somehow. I do believe that the system was built on that design but someone forgot to tell the patients that we changed it on them! I recall it was sometime soon after Reagan left office. Patient education was a standard of care when I started my career, it barely exists from what I saw as a medical device professional. Disappointment is guaranteed when expectations are not met. And it should be easier than ever to achieve now, even as simple as a local cable tv channel regarding the area hospitals. Anyway, that's what I value, honesty, the facts and clear expectations


Comments are closed.
    DISCLAIMER: 
    The medical information and opinions on this site are provided as an information resource only, and are not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. The information and opinions expressed do not create any patient-physician relationship, and should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment.  Please consult your health care provider before making any healthcare decisions or for guidance about a specific medical condition.

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  • About Us
  • Home
  • Virtual MS Center
    • Q & A for Virtual MS Center
    • Read About Our Virtual MS Center Staff
  • News & Resources
  • Seminar Registration
  • Health & Wellness
  • Blogs
    • Physician Blog >
      • Healthcare Provider Blog
    • Physical Therapy Blog
    • Patient Blog
    • Caregiver Blog
    • Research Blogs >
      • "Ask Dr. Debbie" Research Blog
      • Multiple Perspectives In Multiple Sclerosis Research Blog
  • About MS
    • What is MS?
    • Diagnosis
    • Treatment
    • MS Tips
  • Symptoms
    • Balance and Walking Issues
    • Breathing/Respiratory
    • Bowel Dysfunction
    • Cognitive Dysfunction
    • Crying/Laughing Uncontrollably (PBA)
    • Depression and Anxiety
    • Dizziness/Vertigo
    • Dysphagia
    • Fatigue
    • Foot Drop
    • Hearing or Smell or Taste Changes
    • Heat Sensitivity
    • Leg Weakness
    • Loss of Hand Dexterity and Coordination
    • Memory and Mutliple Sclerosis
    • Migraines
    • Numbness/Tingling/Altered Sensation
    • Nystagmus and Oscillopsia
    • Pain
    • Sexual Dysfunction
    • Sleep Issues
    • Spasticity/Spasms/Cramps
    • Speech/Swallowing
    • Urination/Bowel Problems
    • Vision
  • MS Clinics
  • MS Topics
    • Pregnancy and Infertility
    • Caregivers and Family Members
    • Employment and MS
    • Medical Costs and Insurance
    • Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis
  • Register With Us
  • Terms of Use/Privacy/HIPAA
  • MS HealthCare Journey