SECAUCUS, N.J., July 17, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --
2018 QUEST DIAGNOSTICS STUDY FINDS:
- Physicians and health plan executives agreed healthcare has
made little progress toward value-based care since last year – more
than two-thirds (67 percent) of physicians and health plan
executives said the U.S. still has a fee-for-service system.
- Fifty-seven percent of health plan executives said they now
believe physicians do not have the tools to succeed under
value-based care, up significantly from 45 percent in last year's
study.
- Only 39 percent of physicians said electronic health records
(EHRs) provide all the data they need to care for their
patients.
- Eighty percent of health plan executives said they believe
investments made in technology for quality initiatives have
improved the value of healthcare for patients, but only 68 percent
of physicians agreed.
- Survey also provides new insights into perceptions of the role
of consumer-based healthcare and IT-related technologies in
advancing value-based care, including artificial intelligence and
blockchain.
A new study of physicians and health plan executives suggests
that progress toward value-based care has stalled, and it may have
even taken a step backward over the past year. The study,
commissioned by Quest Diagnostics (NYSE: DGX), points to
physicians' lack of tools and insufficient information about their
patients as possible reasons. Other barriers include continuing
misalignment of perceptions of physicians and health plan
executives, particularly regarding the usefulness of quality
metrics and technology in providing patient care.
"Stalled Progress on the Path to Value-Based Care" is the third
annual study from Quest Diagnostics to gauge perceptions of
physicians and health plan executives about the nation's journey to
value-based healthcare, which focuses on care quality and patient
outcomes rather than the quantity of services delivered.
To view the study, click here.
The study analyzes results from a survey of 451 primary care
physicians and health plan executives collected earlier this year.
It also reveals changes in perceptions over the past two years.
Key findings:
- Physicians and health plan executives agreed healthcare has
made little progress toward value-based care since last year, and
may even have lost ground. Among both physicians and health
plan executives, more than two-thirds (67 percent) said they
believe the U.S. has a fee-for-service system versus a value-based
care system (27 percent). In last year's study, those numbers were
63 and 29 percent respectively, which suggests a perception that
the healthcare industry has taken a step backward toward
fee-for-service.
- The majority of health plan executives said they now believe
physicians do not have the tools to succeed under value-based care,
a significant shift from last year when the majority said
physicians had the tools. Fifty-seven percent of health plan
executives agreed that physicians do not have the tools to succeed
under value-based care, an increase of 12 percentage points from 45
percent in the 2017 study.
- Both physicians and health plan executives are much less
confident that physicians have sufficient information about their
patients. Nearly three-quarters (72 percent) of all survey
respondents said physicians do not have all the information they
need about their patients, an increase of 12 percentage points from
the 2017 study. Additionally, only 39 percent of physicians said
electronic health records (EHRs) provide all the data they need to
care for their patients.
- Physicians and health plan executives are not aligned,
particularly around quality metrics and technology. When asked
"How strongly do you agree or disagree that investments made in
technology for quality initiatives have improved the value of
healthcare for patients," 80 percent of health plan executives
agreed, compared to only 68 percent of physicians—a 12-point delta.
Additionally, 62 percent of health plan executives said we've made
progress toward alignment between payers and providers, but only 41
percent of physicians agreed.
- New technologies such as bioinformatics, artificial
intelligence and blockchain could be key to improving value-based
care. More than six in 10 of all physicians and health plan
executives agreed technologies such as bioinformatics, artificial
intelligence, the SMART App Platform, FHIR (Fast Healthcare
Interoperability Resources) and machine learning have potential to
improve value-based care. Almost two-thirds (64 percent) of health
plan executives said one advantage of blockchain in healthcare is
that it can promote shared data across organizations to surmount
interoperability.
The survey also revealed differing perceptions of the usefulness
of consumer-based strategies and investments in new technologies
versus existing technologies in advancing value-based care.
"While our study suggests the healthcare industry still has a
long way to go to deliver value-based care, it reveals avenues to
speed the journey," said L. Patrick
James, M.D., chief clinical officer, health plans and
policy, medical affairs, Quest Diagnostics. "Measures that optimize
EHRs, make data more accessible and insightful and reduce
complexity of quality measurement are much needed steps to
accelerate this transition. First, however, it's clear that health
plan executives and physicians need to better align around a shared
vision of how technology and data can improve patient care."
"It's encouraging to see that physicians and health plan
executives recognize the potential of emerging technologies, such
as artificial intelligence and blockchain in healthcare, to
catalyze the shift to value-based care," said Lidia Fonseca, senior vice president and chief
information officer, Quest Diagnostics. "That's a positive sign
because it means our industry may be more open to harnessing the
power of technology and insights from data to spur important
transitions – like the shift to value-based care – than it was just
a few years ago."
The study, "Stalled Progress on the Path to Value-Based Care,"
can be downloaded here.
To download the 2017 study, "Progress on the Path to Value-Based
Care," click here.
To download the 2016 study, "Finding a Faster Path to
Value-Based Care," click here.
Methodology
Regina Corso Consulting conducted an
online survey on behalf of Quest Diagnostics from April 26-May 7, 2018. The survey was conducted
among 451 respondents. Of these, 300 were primary care physicians
employed in a private practice but who have an affiliation with a
hospital and 151 were health plan executives (director-level and
above). The margin of error for the full sample was +/- 5
percent.
About Quest Diagnostics
Quest Diagnostics empowers
people to take action to improve health outcomes. Derived from the
world's largest database of clinical lab results, our diagnostic
insights reveal new avenues to identify and treat disease, inspire
healthy behaviors and improve health care management. Quest
annually serves one in three adult Americans and half the
physicians and hospitals in the United
States, and our 45,000 employees understand that, in the
right hands and with the right context, our diagnostic insights can
inspire actions that transform lives. www.QuestDiagnostics.com.
The company's Quanum™ portfolio of data analytics and
information technology solutions leverages Quest's national
connectivity, big data, technology and clinical expertise to help
improve quality, outcomes, patient engagement and financial
performance. For more information, visit
QuanumSuite.QuestDiagnostics.com/Quanum.
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SOURCE Quest Diagnostics