Moving Intelligent Change Forward
April, 2018 Vol. 1 - In This Issue:
The ability to access healthcare - as early as possible and at an affordable price - is still a strong indicator of the health of our society. While the business side of health is focused on mergers, new technologies and big data, those on the front lines know that the human side is where we will make the most gains. Prevention, early diagnosis and treatment, and care that goes beyond the medical model can transform the trajectory of disease for many. Connection between care providers and patients must be facilitated (not replaced) by technology.  And the identification of "value" must include factors and perspectives of patients and caregivers, in addition to those delivering and paying for care.

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Finding A Common Path Forward on Value Assessment
 


Defining value in healthcare is a matter of perspective-and everyone's perspective matters. That reality challenges our ability to find consensus on a definition of value, but it also represents an opportunity to find a shared path forward. Patients, payers, providers, and any other group with a vested interest in improving health has a unique perspective on value that needs to be heard.   
 
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Health Care Is an Investment, and the U.S. Should Start Treating It Like One

We invest billions of dollars each year in medicines, new technologies, doctors, and hospitals - all with the goal of improving health, arguably our most prized commodity. Yet, investments in the U.S. health care system woefully underperform relative to those made in health care in other countries.
 
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The Health Care Spending Disconnect: Star Wars vs. Flintstones

When it comes to the boundless potential and well-recognized limitations of America's health care system, it goes without saying that we live in an era of Star Wars science and Flintstones delivery. 
 
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Medicaid Enrollees Have Significantly Better Access to Health Care Compared to Uninsured, According to a New Study
  


Americans enrolled in Medicaid have far better access to health care and preventive services than those without coverage, according to new research released today by America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP). The in-depth study adds to the clear and consistent evidence that having health insurance coverage in general, and Medicaid specifically, provides significant value and protection for Americans.    
 
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Apple's Pact with 13 Health Care Systems Might Actually Disrupt the Industry 
 


An announcement on January 24  didn't get the large amount of attention it deserved: Apple and 13 prominent health systems, including prestigious centers like Johns Hopkins and the University of Pennsylvania, disclosed an agreement that would allow Apple to download onto its various devices the electronic health data of those systems' patients - with patients' permission, of course.  
 
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The Disappearing Doctor: How Mega-Mergers Are Changing the Business of Medical Care 


Is the doctor in? In this new medical age of urgent care centers and retail clinics, that's not a simple question. Nor does it have a simple answer, as primary care doctors become increasingly scarce.
 
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Wasting away: How health systems are advancing the battle against low-value care


When leaders at Johns Hopkins Health System set out to eliminate wasteful clinical practices across the organization, they started with blood transfusions.  Although the system had a number of areas it could have focused on first, unnecessary blood transfusions were on the industry's radar back in 2012, when Johns Hopkins began its effort.
 
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Genomics Rising, Charlatans Circling
  


Since Crick and Watson figured out the structure of DNA in 1953, there has been a constant effort to make genomics meaningful to medicine in a broad scale way. Here we are, a mere 65 years later, and it seems that genomic sequencing has finally hit the big time. And by big time I don't mean more scientific discovery - I mean broader reimbursement.
 
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The Yelping of the American Doctor
   


Each year, antibiotic resistance sends more than 2 million Americans to the doctor. It's a problem at least partly of doctors' own making: Resistance develops because bacteria get the chance to adapt to antibiotics, which can happen when physicians prescribe the drugs for viral infections they can't change. Or when doctors prescribe the wrong antibiotic, one that won't work against the bacteria infecting a patient-or give the right drug, but in the wrong dose or for the wrong length of time..
 
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Comparative effectiveness and patient-centered outcomes research: enhancing uptake and use by patients, clinicians and payers

Evidence from comparative effectiveness research (CER) and patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR) studies are increasingly available in the literature. However, there remain opportunities to better integrate that evidence into decision-making. 
 
Passion + Quality = Change That Matters
  
I embrace the powerful opportunities in our evolving health care landscape. I founded Momentum Health Strategies to be a catalyst for change through continuous learning, diverse engagement and thoughtful policy and practice initiatives. I deliver innovative, strategic thinking and a passion for improving the patient experience. My personal drive and dedication to high-quality results will help you navigate the competitive terrain you face and convert your vision to action.

Momentum Health Strategies

Jennifer L Bright, MPA
(703) 628 - 0534