This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.

Hospitalists must lead positive change, affordability of health care

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — Every hospitalist must be able to lead change in a positive manner because the industry of hospital medicine is at an inflection point, Marc Harrison, MD, president and CEO of Intermountain Healthcare, said during his opening keynote address at Hospital Medicine 2019.

Despite the overarching change in health care, hospitalists are privileged to care for patients at their most vulnerable points in their lives, he said.

“In the United States, about one-third of health care that we deliver is wasted or redundant,” Harrison said. “By doing non-evidence based, non-standardized care, we waste every day.”

That amounts to more than a trillion dollars a year being misused, he said.

“In the United States, we are spending a ton of money on all the wrong things,” Harrison said.

There is a mismatch between the drivers of health care and spending, he said.

“Only about 10% of a person’s health comes from hospitals and clinics, but we spend 90% of money on that 10%,” he said. “If we spent money the right way, they wouldn’t need our help, at least not in that fashion.”

Harrison expressed concern that people are waiting to make a change. Bold action is needed, he said.

We need to lower the cost of care, modernize at scale, move upstream and address social determinants of health, he said.

“It doesn’t matter how technically good you are if people can’t afford what you are doing or don’t actually need it,” Harrison said.

Hospitalists must start to understand patients’ goals, be intentional and holistic about care and ensure seamless handoff to the next caregiver, according to Harrison.

“It is going to require humility, risk taking and a desire to truly serve others if we are going to change the paradigm of how health care is delivered,” Harrison said.

“We need an upgrade in how we approach keeping people well and caring for people when they are sick in an efficient and innovation fashion,” he added.

The greatest risks that may prevent success are inaction, lack of courage and waiting for legislation to tell us what to do, he said. – by Alaina Tedesco

Reference:

Harrison M. Influencing lives earlier, more effectively and more affordably. Presented at: Hospital Medicine 2019. March 25-27; National Harbor, Md.

Disclosure: Healio Primary Care Today was unable to confirm relevant financial disclosures prior to publication.