New Report Offers Consensus on Patient Centered Medical Home and ACO

New report offers consensus on PCMH, ACO’s

The evidence of success of the medical home combined with the need for accountable delivery system reform demands action–and stakeholders have arrived at a consensus about what that consensus should look like, according to Better to Best: Value-Driving Elements of the PCMH and ACO a new report from the Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative, in partnership with The Commonwealth Fund and the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice. The report outlines action steps and recommendations for policy, demonstration programs and research.

US News & World Report Releases List of Americas Best Health Plans

Below please find links to:

Americas Top Health Plans

America Best Medicare Plans 

2008 Regional Healthcare Report Card

The NYS Health Accountability Foundations has published the 2008 Regional Health Care Report Card, which presents access, service and quality data for all hospitals and commercial managed care plans in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Vermont and Rhode Island. 

Review reportcards for Insurance Carriers and Hospitals

 

Side Effects Not Linked to Gardasil

Reports of serious adverse events and deaths in young girls and women following administration with Merck & Co.‘s Gardasil are likely not related to the cervical-cancer vaccine, federal health officials said Wednesday

WSJ Article

Hackensack University Medical Center Named Top 50 Hospitals in America

HUMC became the only New Jersey hospital named to the “HealthGrades America’s 50 Best Hospital” list identifying an elite class of top-performing facilities. HUMC is the only hospital in New Jersey, New York, and New England to be named to the list. 2008 marks the second consecutive year HUMC has achieved this honor. The HealthGrades designation represents the healthcare industry’s only quality ranking based solely on objective clinical outcomes among U.S. hospitals. Hackensack is a member of the NJHCQI Provider Council.

 

Click here for America’s top 50 Hospitals  

NJHCQI

 

Watson/NBGH Study: Employers still smitten on CDHPs

By 2009, nearly 55% of U.S. corporations plan on offering a consumer-directed health plan, reports Watson Wyatt and the National Business Group on Health.   For Lydell C. Bridgeford’s full story click here  

Aetna Takes the Lead on Personal Health Records

Aetna deserves praise for being out in front with the first-ever personalized search engine that mines information from Aetna’s vast data resources to deliver meaningful, personalized health and health benefits information to Aetna members.  Aetna partnered with Healthline Networks to develop Aetna SmartSource.  Aetna SmartSource is available online and can be accessed through Aetna Navigator^®, Aetna’s member self-service website, the CareEngine-powered Personal Health Record (PHR), and Simple Steps To A Healthier Life^®, Aetna’s online wellness program. Aetna will pilot Aetna SmartSource with several large, pre-selected customers throughout 2008.

Click here for more on SmartSource.

Pay for Performance

Will P4P initiatives transform behaviors by providers and hospitals to improve healthcare quality, costs and outcome targets?  This is a loaded question that has many moving parts.  I believe the P4P model will replace the fee for service model but will require a monumental effort on the part of insurance carriers, hospitals, physician, and legislators.  The Common Wealth Fund reviews a case study with Partners Healthcare and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts that centers on paying providers to adopt and implement EMRs and then using EMRs to evaluate patient outcomes. A must read for all interested in a Value Based Purchasing Model.  Click here

Google Releases Personal Health Record (PHR)

Google CEO Eric Schmidt formally introduced Google Health partnership and pilot with the Cleveland Clinic this week at the HIMSS (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society) conference in Orlando, Florida.  

John Moore of Chilmark Research writes great article on Goggles PHR introduction to the market.  Click here

Marissa Mayer, VP, Search & User Products at Google posts “Google Health a First Look”  Click here