Articles 1 to 5 of 61
The Future of Quality Benchmarking in Improving Healthcare Outcomes
According to Steven D. Culler PhD, associate professor at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health and an adjunct professor at Goizueta Business School, quality benchmarking of medical providers can improve patient outcomes and decrease healthcare costs. In a recent interview with Knowledge@Emory, Culler admits that change in the healthcare system is certainly difficult. However, healthcare reform and the implementation of electronic health records will usher in a new day for rating the quality of hospitals and doctors.
The Economics of Chronic Care and its Impact on Reform
“The primary factor driving healthcare costs is the use of advanced medical technologies, applied to an aging population coping with myriad chronic illnesses, ” says Sam Nussbaum, executive vice president of clinical health policy and chief medical officer for WellPoint Inc. Speaking before a packed auditorium of doctors, faculty, and community members as part of the Future Makers Lecture Series sponsored by Emory University’s Woodruff Health Sciences Center, Nussbaum discussed why current legislation doesn't begin to tackle the high cost of care in America. As a case in point, Nussbaum says that of WellPoint's more than 33 million members, five percent, those with chronic illnesses are responsible for more than one-half of the insurer’s medical spending. The solution? A collaborative approach with healthcare delivery systems, such as Emory, working in concert with health insurers and other healthcare stakeholders to ensure high-quality health care.
Grady Medical System CEO Michael Young on Healthcare Reforms and Innovation
It's been three months since U.S. President Barack Obama, overcoming considerable political and public resistance, signed sweeping healthcare reforms into law. A May CBS News poll showed that 43 percent of Americans now support the new measures. Although this is good news for the president, those left to sort out the implications of the bill remain hard at work. Michael Young, CEO of Atlanta-based Grady Health System, spoke to Knowledge@Emory about the legislation and what it means for the internationally recognized teaching hospital he leads.
The Doctor is Out: An Inside Look at the Doctor and Nursing Shortage
The U.S. is facing a growing doctor and nursing shortage. But according to healthcare experts and practitioners at Emory University, Emory Healthcare, and Goizueta Business School, the issue is much more complicated than the numbers indicate. They note that personnel problems can be resolved by addressing healthcare quality, training, access, cost and efficiency.
Looking Abroad for Solutions to the Healthcare Dilemma
In T.R. Reid’s book titled The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper, and Fairer Health Care, the journalist compares the U.S. healthcare system to public and semi-public healthcare efforts in a number of Western nations. Reid and experts from Emory Healthcare and Emory University’s Woodruff Health Sciences Center and Department of Health Policy and Management at the Rollins School of Public Health discuss the alternatives abroad, as well as the pros and cons of overhauling the U.S. healthcare system.
