Pay-for-Performance Provisions are a “Triumph of Theory Over Experience,” Writes Bill Keller in “Carrots for Doctors.” “Pay for performance, or P4P in the jargon, is embraced by right and left. It has long been the favorite egghead prescription for our absurdly overpriced, underperforming health care system. The logic . . . If only it worked,” writes former New York Times executive editor Bill Keller, here writing for the Times’ opinion page. More:
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Tips Medical Professionals Can Use to Face the Public with Confidence Sue Jacques at Physicians Practice reports: Being a skilled medical professional doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re comfortable speaking in public, especially when it comes to talking to a group of peers. If the mere thought of addressing even a small audience causes your knees to knock, you’re not alone. This universal anxiety is provoked by a number of factors, including lack of experience, poor preparation, and discomfort being the center of attention. Effective verbal communication is essential for personal and professional success, yet getting your messages across clearly can…
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2013 California Filings: Aetna: 22 percent. Anthem Blue Cross: 26 percent. Blue Shield of California: 20 percent. Reed Abelson at the New York Times reported last week that health insurance companies across the country are seeking and winning double-digit increases in premiums for some customers, even though one of the biggest objectives of the Obama administration’s health care law was to stem the rapid rise in insurance costs for consumers. More:
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Restaurant Chains Have Managed to Combine Quality Control, Cost Control, and Innovation. Can Health Care? Physician and writer Atul Gawande publishes an essay in the New Yorker today that discusses how the Cheesecake Factory delivers good food at reasonable prices while meeting rigorous metrics (it throws away only 2.5% of all its groceries, for instance), and explores whether and how the lessons of Cheesecake Factory efficiency can be effectively applied to today’s hospitals. Only a quarter of physicians are self-employed today, Gawande notes, which is a remarkable turnaround from only a decade ago when the majority were self-employed. Most are…