AMERICANS
are virtually unani-
mous in agreeing that having the right
information is the key to making good
health care decisions. Patients have an
important role to play in the decision-
making process by recognizing that
hospitals do not perform equally in all
procedures.
“As American policy-makers focus
more intently on ways to lower health
care costs and improve quality, pa-
tients are being asked to assume more
responsibility for their health care
decisions—from selection of their
health plan to the associated network
of physicians and hospitals,” says Evan
Marks, executive vice president, strat-
egy and informatics, Healthgrades.
Patients can find out about a hospi-
tal’s performance based on complica-
tion and mortality rates because this
information is free and publicly avail-
able from resources like Healthgrades.
“Since all hospitals do not perform
equally in all procedures, patients can
have confidence that by selecting a
physician associated with a hospital
that has received an ‘Excellence’ or
‘5-star’ performance ranking for a
specific procedure or condition, they
can potentially improve outcomes and
reduce costs,” Marks says.
In addition to differences in clinical
outcomes, consumers should be aware
of variation in direct costs incurred by
hospitals. Patients can apply steps they
routinely take for other purchases—
researching costs, performance and
value prior to deciding what to buy
and where—to their health care deci-
sions to help make the best choices for
their health care needs.
Select the right insurance
Health care reform initiatives are de-
signed to improve the efficiency and
effectiveness of care, thereby reducing
overall health care expenditures. The
health insurance marketplace is the
most recently implemented piece of
the Affordable Care Act. The market-
place is where consumers compare
insurance plans and buy the one that
fits their needs.
Consumers should evaluate the
providers who participate in the plan
as well as the hospitals those pro-
viders utilize for hospital services.
Ultimately, the insurance plan you
pick dictates the doctors you can see
and the hospitals you can use, and it
has the ability to directly influence the
outcome and cost of your care.
Be informed and take advantage of
available resources like Healthgrades
quality ratings to identify and compare
hospital quality, readmission rates,
timely and effective care, patient safety,
and patient experience measures.
Be an informed consumer
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