Patient-Centered Care

commentary

Patients Should Have a Role in Deciding the Value of Medicines

Patients, their family members, and the general public have historically been excluded from contributing to health care value assessment models. But methods for including patient voices in research are far less complicated or demanding than some researchers believe they will be.

Thomas W. Concannon @tconcannon, Lori Frank @LoriBethFrank

blog

Iran, Mental Health and Jail, Russia: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on Iran and Iraq following the death of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, supporting those experiencing mental illness in jails, Russia's hostile measures, and more.

essay

Giving Patients a Voice in Medical Guidelines

Clinical guidelines are the user manuals of modern medicine. They can dictate insurance coverage and help hospitals set quality standards. Yet they often lack the perspective of those who care the most about good treatment: patients and their caregivers. Researchers are working to change that.

commentary

How Smartphone Apps Could Help Keep Health Records Accurate

Electronic health records have helped streamline record keeping but providers aren't always able to reliably pull together records for the same patient from different hospitals, clinics, and doctor's offices. The growing use of smartphones offers a promising opportunity to improve record matching.

Ben Moscovitch, Robert S. Rudin @rsrudin

commentary

Can Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Improve Health Care?

A review in 2017 of the adequacy and use of Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Trust Funds will be used to determine whether funding levels should be continued or adjusted after its authorization runs out in 2019. Researchers ought to take stock of the work in patient-centered outcomes research.

Thomas W. Concannon @tconcannon

commentary

Nature and Nurture: What's Behind the Variation in Recent Medical Home Evaluations?

As demonstrated in Pennsylvania, conveners of medical home pilots are drawing from their early experiences to refine their intervention designs and improve their effectiveness. Such a learning process is likely to be a critical part of successfully implementing any new model of payment and care delivery.

Mark W. Friedberg, Connie Sixta, et al.

commentary

How to Avert a Doctor Shortage

Within the next decade, the United States may face a shortage of 130,000 physicians due to a growing, aging population and the anticipated demands of those newly insured under the ACA. This shortage can be alleviated by early creative interventions.

Michael D. Rich @michaeldrich

blog

Medical Homes Show Limited Quality Improvements, No Cost Reductions

A study suggests that medical home interventions may require further refinements before their full potential can be realized. Evaluations like this can help guide the improvement of the medical home model.