January 27, 2010 -- Hospital Impact has been ranked one of the top 50 healthcare blogs by Wikio.
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by Christopher Cornue
Our friends at the Commonwealth Fund have provided us with a wonderful New Year’s present – “Bending The Curve: Options for Achieving Savings and Improving Value in US Health Spending”.
Built upon established facts that US health spending is expected to increase from 16% ($2 trillion) of the GDP in 2006 to 20% ($4 trillion) of the GDP in 2016, the authors of this detailed and unique report offer options that have the potential to “bend the curve” of this increase and keep our spending from increasing so rapidly. The options they present are in some cases radical changes in our thinking and rely heavily on changes in governmental policies; however, overall, they are plausible solutions providing an opportunity to control our healthcare spending. They assert that over the next decade, it would be possible to reduce national expenditures while simultaneously improving access, quality and population health.
The report is focused on a combination of policies that address different aspects of the healthcare industry:
• Production and use of better information for health care decision-making;
• Promotion of health & disease prevention efforts;
• Alignment of financial incentives with health quality & efficiency;
• Correction of price signals in health care markets.
Through forthcoming postings, we’ll try to examine each of these areas and policies identified by the report.
As is always the case with The Commonwealth Fund, much of their efforts are focused on promoting a national discussion around issues and solutions. They’ve accomplished this once again and over the next several postings, we’ll do the same.
Safety TipHospital facilities built today do not include asbestos, but many older buildings still have asbestos components in them. Steam pipes, boilers and furnace ducts were often insulated with an asbestos blanket or asbestos paper tape because of their fireproof and insulating properties. Resilient floor tiles were made from vinyl asbestos. Asbestos cement was employed in roofing, shingles and siding materials. The hazard of this carcinogen increases when the fibers become airborne, and untrained contractors can inadvertently increase risks by cutting, tearing, sawing, scraping, or sanding asbestos materials. Elevated asbestos levels can occur in hospitals where old materials are damaged or disturbed. It is best to leave undamaged asbestos material alone if it is not likely to be disturbed. Inhaling asbestos fibers is known to cause mesothelioma and other diseases. Be sure to use an experienced asbestos removal contractor when you need to get rid of old materials that might contain asbestos. |