Related Experiment Videos
Improving quality through public disclosure of performance information
1Foundation for Accountability, Portland, Oregon, USA.
Health Affairs (Project Hope)
|July 16, 2002
Summary
Government action on U.S. healthcare quality is lacking. New health insurance reforms present an opportunity to mandate public disclosure of healthcare quality, effectiveness, and safety data, driving improvements.
Area of Science:
- Health Policy
- Healthcare Quality Improvement
- Public Health
Background:
- Significant quality issues persist in U.S. healthcare.
- Current state and federal government responses to healthcare quality problems are insufficient.
- Proposed health insurance reforms offer potential avenues for quality monitoring.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose legislative requirements for improving U.S. healthcare quality.
- To leverage new federal health benefit expenditures for quality monitoring.
- To advocate for public disclosure of healthcare performance information.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of existing healthcare quality problems.
- Review of proposed health insurance reforms (e.g., Medicare drug benefit, tax credits).
- Proposal for legislative mandates linking federal funding to quality data disclosure.
Main Results:
- New federal health benefit programs could serve as a mechanism for quality improvement.
- Public disclosure of performance data on quality, effectiveness, and safety is a key recommendation.
- Mandatory disclosure can incentivize improvements and provide public accountability.
Conclusions:
- Legislative requirements for public disclosure of healthcare quality data are essential.
- Linking federal funding to transparency can stimulate and monitor quality enhancements.
- Such a policy can yield substantial public and institutional benefits for U.S. healthcare.