Employers: quality takers or quality makers?

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Healthcare Management
• Health Economics

Background:

• Employers possess significant market power that can influence healthcare quality.
• Understanding the extent of employer influence is crucial for improving healthcare standards.
• Past research offers insights into employer strategies and their impact on healthcare quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize existing research on employer utilization of market power to drive healthcare quality.
• To determine if employers are primarily "quality takers" or "quality makers" in the healthcare market.
• To analyze the aspects of quality employers influence, their strategies, and the resulting impact.

Main Methods:

• Literature synthesis of previous research on employer impact on healthcare quality.
• Analysis of employer-driven purchasing strategies and quality indicators.
• Review of evidence on the effectiveness of employer interventions in healthcare.

Main Results:

• Employers are incorporating some quality indicators into purchasing strategies, becoming more informed "quality takers."
• The quality indicators favored by employers may not align with those prioritized by clinical experts and policymakers.
• A few well-resourced employers act as "quality makers," but this is not yet a widespread trend.

Conclusions:

• Employers are evolving in their role concerning healthcare quality, moving towards greater engagement.
• The future trajectory of employer influence on healthcare quality remains uncertain, with mixed signals.
• Further research is needed to understand and optimize the employer's role in enhancing healthcare quality.