July 2020 | Volume 2
MOVING INTELLIGENT CHANGE FORWARD
INNOVATION DIGEST
As we continue to focus on finding therapies that can treat and maybe prevent further health and economic pain resulting from COVID-19, there is naturally a focus on pricing. But we are already seeing the threads of even more complex issues before us: supply chain, distribution, and clarity about ensuring and prioritizing access to these therapies and vaccine(s). Grappling with these questions on a global scale is imperative, as is getting clear about how to reach the highest priority populations and how to ensure good public health communication about the benefits, risks and social responsibility associated with using them. I’m not suggesting that how (and who) pays for these lifesavers doesn’t matter, but I am concerned that we’re tackling the questions in the wrong order.
Behavioral Health Parity Efforts in the US
Effective delivery of mental health and substance use disorder services is a critical problem in the United States, with less than half of adults with mental health diagnoses receiving treatment for their illness. For patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or other more serious mental health conditions, less than two-thirds received care for their illness, according to data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, which included more than 65 000 respondents.
Paying For Value From Costly Medical Technologies: A Framework For Applying Value-Based Payment Reforms
Innovative medical products offer significant and potentially transformative impacts on health, but they create concerns about rising spending and whether this rise is translating into higher value. The result is increasing pressure to pay for therapies in a way that is tied to their value to stakeholders through improving outcomes, reducing disease complications, and addressing concerns about affordability.
The Pandemic Experts Are Not Okay
Saskia Popescu’s phone buzzes throughout the night, waking her up. It had already buzzed 99 times before I interviewed her at 9:15 a.m. ET last Monday. It buzzed three times during the first 15 minutes of our call. Whenever a COVID-19 case is confirmed at her hospital system, Popescu gets an email, and her phone buzzes. She cannot silence it.
State of play: Health care after the pandemic
COVID-19 has forced the world to change, and the fallout from the pandemic will be felt for years to come. The outbreak is already accelerating the technology we use to care for people, and signs suggest that there will be a greater reliance on technology in health care as the world begins to move beyond the pandemic. In the U.S. alone, funding for health care jumped by 35% over last quarter, one of the largest jumps in recent years, according to CB Insights.
Identifying and Addressing Multi-Stakeholder Gaps in Value Assessment
While there is general consensus that existing value assessment methods are imperfect solutions for providing credible and relevant information on value specific to cancer care decisions, there is much less consensus on the appropriate methodologic advancements needed.
Patients should have a role in deciding the value of medicines
Policymakers increasingly consult value assessment models to help price new medical interventions. Value models use prespecified approaches and selected health outcomes to match the price of an intervention to its expected benefits. Who chooses the approach and outcomes, however, is at the center of a debate about the value of pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device-based interventions.
The Disproportionate Impact of Covid-19 on Communities of Color
Racism, cultural mistrust, miscommunication, chronic illness bred by limited food and living choices, and lived experience bind together communities of color as disparate as the Navajo Nation and Chelsea, Massachusetts. Why are we surprised? Because we are complacent.
Patient and Family Engaged Care: An Essential Element of Health Equity
In this paper, we emphasize and explore health equity as an integral component of a culture of patient and family engaged care (PFEC), rather than an isolated or peripheral outcome. To examine the role of PFEC in addressing health inequities, we build on the 2017 NAM Perspectives discussion paper “Harnessing Evidence and Experience to Change Culture: A Guiding Framework for Patient and Family Engaged Care.” 
Is Wearable Technology The Savior We’ve Been Waiting For?
The companies behind popular smart rings and wristwatches like the Oura ring, Fitbit, and Apple Watch are trying to program their products to detect early symptoms of Covid-19. If they succeed, wearables could potentially play a significant role in putting an end to this pandemic. 
10 big advancements in healthcare tech during the pandemic
The need for technology and digital capabilities accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, underscoring the importance of data and virtual monitoring to care for all patients while hospitals focused on patients with the virus.

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
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