Yesterday, the media was a buzz with the latest recommendations from lead medical organizations about overused tests and treatments.
Maggie Fox from NBC news states, "You don’t need an MRI for lower back pain. You don’t need antibiotics for a sinus infection. And you don’t need to be screened for osteoporosis, either, if you’re under 65. " The Washington Post's headline reads "Group releases list of 90 medical ‘don’ts.’" The New York Times similarly describes this report as a list of "don'ts."
All this stems from the Choosing Wisely initiative from the non-profit American Board of Internal Medicine foundation in conjunction with Consumer Reports. The group ask most of the major physician specialty societies to come up with al list of the most common unnecessary things done in medicine. Each group came up with the top 5, to comprise a list of 90 commonly overused tests and treatments. A few examples include:
•A feeding tube in patients with advanced dementia. (American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine and American Geriatrics Society)
•A routine annual Pap test if you’re 30 or older, or under 21. (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists).
•DEXA (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) screening for osteoporosis in women under 65 or men under 70, unless there’s a suspicion of bone loss.
•A CT scan for a child with a minor head injury. (American Academy of Pediatrics)
This work is important as due to our fee for service system that reimburses for ordering tests and treatments whether or not they are effective or worthwhile, has proven to be costly and inefficient. Thus, cutting unnecessary testing or treatment in medicine will both save money and potentially reduce harm. For example, in many ER's across the country, almost all children that come in after a head injury get a CT scan. Not only has this not been proven to be effective, but radiating a child's head can increase the risk for cancer.
However, a word of caution.....
Based on the headlines, one might think that these tests or treatments should never be done. Two major media outlets call these a list of "don'ts." However, this is not what the experts were saying. These are commonly overused tests and treatments, not useless. There might be very good reasons to get a CT scan after a head injury in a child that outweigh the very small potential increase risk for cancer. It is very important to understand this because it is possible that insurances and/or the government will use these recommendations to determine reimbursement. While it is correct that physicians and patients should question the routine use of these tests or treatments, patients and doctors shouldn't have to fight with insurance companies to use these tests and treatments when they feel it is necessary. Finally, if as a patient you question your physician about a test or treatment they recommend (which is the entire purpose of the Choosing Wisely campaign), be prepared to sign something that states you won't sue them should your refusal of their recommendation turn out to be wrong. While the Choosing Wisely campaign starts to address the problems with our fee for service reimbursement system, it fails to address the other major driver of health care costs- malpractice. Many physicians would likely gladly give up these over-used tests and treatments, but will not for fear of being sued.
Friday, February 22, 2013
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
The Future of Health Care is Now Clear
As a physician who is involved in educating medical students, I am often asked for career advice. Medical students are by nature smart and ask very good questions. "Will I be able to pay of my student loans if I choose primary care?" "Will I have a balanced lifestyle if I decide to go into primary care?"
I try to be both encouraging and realistic. However, far too often I have found myself telling students that the future of medicine, primary care in particular is not clear.
That is no longer true.
The future of health care, and particularly primary care is now very clear.
Several recent events along with trends that have been in place for the last few years have clarified the future of health care over the next few years. The passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the decision of the Supreme Court to uphold the constitutionality of the individual mandate, the re-election of President Obama, and the fiscal cliff/sequester have all set into motion changes to our health care system that are likely irreversible and clarify the future of health care. Essentially, there are two paths:
1. Health Care in Large Integrated Systems. Health care costs are skyrocketing. The major fixes to the problem that are accepted on both sides of the aisle are an end to fee for service, bundled payments, and incentives for improving quality at lower costs. Accountable Care Organizations (ACO's) are one model being tested. However, even if the ACO turns out to be HMO 2.0, and ultimately fails; health care will be delivered in large integrated systems. This trend is already occurring with hospitals, academic medical centers and other health care systems gobbling up (through incorporation or outright purchase) smaller private practices. Because payment will be linked to performance, and performance must be measured and reported; the only way physicians will be able to make money is to not only have a large, robust electronic medical records, but also a staff that can help collect, process and report the important data. Even large private practices don't have the economies of scale to make this happen. Thus, private practice as we know it will cease to exist. This trend is already happening. According to a report by Accenture, over the past decade, the number of independent U.S. physicians has dropped dramatically, from 57 percent in 2000 to 39 percent in 2012.
The move to large, integrated is not necessarily a bad thing. Integrated systems allow for quality improvement. Large integrated systems like Mayo, Kaiser, and the VA have some of the best outcomes for health care in our country, usually at significantly lower costs. For physicians, being a salaried employee also has its benefits which include a guaranteed paycheck, reasonable hours, good benefits and no worries about running a practice. The current generation of medical students tend to value work life balance over the potential opportunities seen in private practice.
The down side of large integrated systems is less personalized attention. Rather than seeing your doctor when you are sick, a patient will likely wind up seeing a member of the doctor's care team.Other modalities such as group appointments might be employed.
2. Health Care Outside the System. Some doctors (likely the ones currently in practice) will refuse to join these large integrated groups. Some patients may decide that access to their own personal physician has some value. These patients are tired of waiting forever to get an appointment or a call back from their doctor, and want to see their doctor when they are sick, not a team member. They are even willing to pay beyond what their insurance premiums cover. These patients and providers will go outside the system. Growth of retainer (often called concierge) practices, cash-only practice, or direct primary care demonstrate that going outside the system is already happening. This will likely be limited to primary care, as one might be able to pay cash for a doctor's appointment, but not a colonoscopy or cardiac catheterization.
Health care delivery is already occurring in large integrated systems as well as outside the system. The aforementioned changes will cause these trends to continue, squeezing out the current physicians who are still in an insurance based private practice. These changes are certain. What is unclear is the proportion of health care that will be delivered in either model. Will large integrated systems become so effective, that only the very wealthy will deem it worthwhile to get their care outside the system? Or, will large integrated systems become so impersonal and inconvenient that only those with modest incomes will be forced to get their care in these systems? The truth is likely somewhere in between, i.e. 70/30, 50/50 or 30/70.
Regardless, medical students and residents who are trying to determine a career path should now have a clearer vision of the future health care. Patients who are currently receiving their care by a private practice physician who accepts their insurance should also realize that their current situation will likely not exist in the next few years.
I try to be both encouraging and realistic. However, far too often I have found myself telling students that the future of medicine, primary care in particular is not clear.
That is no longer true.
The future of health care, and particularly primary care is now very clear.
Several recent events along with trends that have been in place for the last few years have clarified the future of health care over the next few years. The passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the decision of the Supreme Court to uphold the constitutionality of the individual mandate, the re-election of President Obama, and the fiscal cliff/sequester have all set into motion changes to our health care system that are likely irreversible and clarify the future of health care. Essentially, there are two paths:
1. Health Care in Large Integrated Systems. Health care costs are skyrocketing. The major fixes to the problem that are accepted on both sides of the aisle are an end to fee for service, bundled payments, and incentives for improving quality at lower costs. Accountable Care Organizations (ACO's) are one model being tested. However, even if the ACO turns out to be HMO 2.0, and ultimately fails; health care will be delivered in large integrated systems. This trend is already occurring with hospitals, academic medical centers and other health care systems gobbling up (through incorporation or outright purchase) smaller private practices. Because payment will be linked to performance, and performance must be measured and reported; the only way physicians will be able to make money is to not only have a large, robust electronic medical records, but also a staff that can help collect, process and report the important data. Even large private practices don't have the economies of scale to make this happen. Thus, private practice as we know it will cease to exist. This trend is already happening. According to a report by Accenture, over the past decade, the number of independent U.S. physicians has dropped dramatically, from 57 percent in 2000 to 39 percent in 2012.
The move to large, integrated is not necessarily a bad thing. Integrated systems allow for quality improvement. Large integrated systems like Mayo, Kaiser, and the VA have some of the best outcomes for health care in our country, usually at significantly lower costs. For physicians, being a salaried employee also has its benefits which include a guaranteed paycheck, reasonable hours, good benefits and no worries about running a practice. The current generation of medical students tend to value work life balance over the potential opportunities seen in private practice.
The down side of large integrated systems is less personalized attention. Rather than seeing your doctor when you are sick, a patient will likely wind up seeing a member of the doctor's care team.Other modalities such as group appointments might be employed.
2. Health Care Outside the System. Some doctors (likely the ones currently in practice) will refuse to join these large integrated groups. Some patients may decide that access to their own personal physician has some value. These patients are tired of waiting forever to get an appointment or a call back from their doctor, and want to see their doctor when they are sick, not a team member. They are even willing to pay beyond what their insurance premiums cover. These patients and providers will go outside the system. Growth of retainer (often called concierge) practices, cash-only practice, or direct primary care demonstrate that going outside the system is already happening. This will likely be limited to primary care, as one might be able to pay cash for a doctor's appointment, but not a colonoscopy or cardiac catheterization.
Health care delivery is already occurring in large integrated systems as well as outside the system. The aforementioned changes will cause these trends to continue, squeezing out the current physicians who are still in an insurance based private practice. These changes are certain. What is unclear is the proportion of health care that will be delivered in either model. Will large integrated systems become so effective, that only the very wealthy will deem it worthwhile to get their care outside the system? Or, will large integrated systems become so impersonal and inconvenient that only those with modest incomes will be forced to get their care in these systems? The truth is likely somewhere in between, i.e. 70/30, 50/50 or 30/70.
Regardless, medical students and residents who are trying to determine a career path should now have a clearer vision of the future health care. Patients who are currently receiving their care by a private practice physician who accepts their insurance should also realize that their current situation will likely not exist in the next few years.
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