Health Policy and Regulation
by Jenna Ogilvie | May 29, 2013 | Commentary, Perspectives
A central tenet of the learning health system philosophy is that evidence development should be part of care delivery. Furthermore, it should be possible to address difficult problems in the learning health system; health care-associated infections are such problems....
by Laura DeStefano | May 3, 2013 | Commentary, Perspectives
Health care delivery is changing in virtually every domain—affecting primary, tertiary, and quaternary care; crossing disciplines and engaging all health professions; and involving both processes and outcomes of care. All of these changes are marked by a major...
by Jenna Ogilvie | Apr 23, 2013 | Discussion Paper, Perspectives
Rising health care costs continue to stress budgets at all levels—family, employer, state, and national. At the same time, the results from health care are not commensurate with this level of investment. But there is cause for optimism that results can improve: the...
by Jenna Ogilvie | Apr 19, 2013 | Commentary, Perspectives
More than ever, health care providers need to help purchasers make intelligent, value-based decisions. Providers are being asked to reduce the total cost of care, figure out what works and what doesn’t, and move quickly on innovations that add value. But without...
by Jenna Ogilvie | Apr 15, 2013 | Discussion Paper, Perspectives
Background Most people who receive health care in the United States recognize that the system is complicated and fragmented. What they are less likely to know is that opportunities to learn from the care provided in hospitals, clinics, and doctors’ offices are...
by Laura DeStefano | Apr 12, 2013 | Commentary, Perspectives
The obvious answer of “no” to the question of readiness is not just due to the ongoing loss of experienced staff. Loss of infrastructure is bad enough, but even a well-staffed health department needs safe and effective treatment tools when more than 100 high school...
by Jenna Ogilvie | Apr 5, 2013 | Commentary, Perspectives
Decades of research from the Dartmouth Atlas have shown that unwarranted variations in elective surgery are pervasive in the United States. Decision aids (DAs) are evidence-based sources of health information that can help patients make informed treatment decisions...
by Laura DeStefano | Mar 22, 2013 | Commentary, Perspectives
Support for core public health capacity is diminishing; outbreaks of microbial threats are not. In 2012 there were a number of high-profile threats (see the box below) that demanded public health intervention to protect the public. It is well understood that the role...
by Jenna Ogilvie | Mar 22, 2013 | Commentary, Perspectives
Fundamental changes are reshaping the nation’s health care system—from purchaser and payer demands for greater quality and value to new legislative and regulatory requirements stemming from the Affordable Care Act. Also driving change is the growing recognition that a...
by Laura DeStefano | Feb 7, 2013 | Commentary, Perspectives
The first test of penicillin on a human, Constable Albert Alexander in 1941, illustrated the remarkable power of antibiotics to control bacterial infection, only to end in tragedy when all available penicillin was exhausted and Alexander’s infection recrudesced...
