- NEW! Participate in this R&D Lab virtually - visit the 'enroll' tab for details
- To learn more about how this R&D Lab relates to secondary care outside the US click here.
More care doesn’t always mean better care.
In the US, an estimated 30% of health care costs — nearly $700 billion — represents care that could be eliminated without reducing quality.
How can we design care delivery to ensure appropriate care for every patient?
How do we ensure that physicians are engaged as partners in this effort?
Research and experience indicate that a number of interventions can lead to the appropriate use of specialty care services, including:
- Shared medical decision making supported by decision aids
- Improved process of care that is embedded into workflow
- Development of service agreements between primary and specialty care
However, much more work needs to be done in order to reduce the nearly $700 billion without hurting patients.
Under the umbrella of our Triple Aim initiative, IHI is conducting extensive research and development on the appropriate use of specialty care services. In an effort to spread and accelerate learning, we’ve launched the Appropriate Use of Specialty Care Services R&D initiative, which specifically focuses on two of the nine areas of overuse identified by the National Quality Forum’s National Priorities Partnership (NPP):
- Unwarranted diagnostic procedures
- Unwarranted procedures
The Appropriate Use of Specialty Care Services R&D Lab will serve as the kickoff to this new IHI initiative, providing attendees with a forum to develop further the tools, techniques, and approaches necessary to improve the use of specialty services. Topics of discussion will focus on four primary drivers for improvement: engagement of physicians, shared decision making, care coordination, and improved process of care.
Listen to the April 23, 2009 informational call, led by faculty Carol Beasley, regarding this R&D Lab and other Triple Aim programs.
