© HealthValueLab 2024
What is value-based health care?
Value-based care is defined as the outcomes that matter to patients divided by the total costs of care. In association with the “A Bill You Can Understand” national challenge, a recent research report by strategic design consultancy Mad*Pow surveyed 355 patients and revealed that 61% found their medical bills confusing or very confusing. Most patients identified providers or their billing department as the root cause of their frustration and errors, and many reported that they now avoid seeking medical care as a result of their medical bills. Confusion around medical bills is increasingly decreasing the value of care.
Low-value care can increase financial burdens for patients as well—see the corresponding Anatomy of a Bill case [link: https://healthvaluelab.org/case-one-leighton-factor/] to view a bill that a patient received after being diagnosed with a VTE.”
Why this project?
While medical students spend years studying human anatomy, they are never taught the anatomy of a medical bill. Most are not exposed to billing until they are residents or attendings — by this point, they are too focused on tracking patients’ symptoms and treatments to also learn about billing details and how they impact patients. Yet, clearly medical bill frustrations impede patient care, and patients hold their providers accountable. How can we expect the next generation of physicians to solve a problem that they themselves do not understand?
ABOUT ANATOMY OF A BILL
In association with the “A Bill You Can Understand” national challenge, a recent research report by strategic design consultancy Mad*Pow surveyed 355 patients and revealed that 61% found their medical bills confusing or very confusing. Most patients identified providers or their billing department as the root cause of their frustration and errors, and many reported that they now avoid seeking medical care as a result of their medical bills. Confusion around medical bills is increasingly decreasing the value of care.
Low-value care can increase financial burdens for patients as well—see the corresponding Anatomy of a Bill case to view a bill that a patient received after being diagnosed with a VTE.”
While medical students spend years studying human anatomy, they are never taught the anatomy of a medical bill. Most are not exposed to billing until they are residents or attendings — by this point, they are too focused on tracking patients’ symptoms and treatments to also learn about billing details and how they impact patients. Yet, clearly medical bill frustrations impede patient care, and patients hold their providers accountable. How can we expect the next generation of physicians to solve a problem that they themselves do not understand?