GAO: Studies on Quality and Cost Often Lack Key Data
Achieving greater health care value in the U.S. depends on the availability of information on how certain initiatives affect quality of care and costs, according to a Government Accountability Office report. GAO reviewed numerous studies and surveyed their authors about the effects of programs designed to boost quality and reduce costs. The report found that although such initiatives have improved care, only half of respondents said they increased cost savings. The report noted that many studies do not employ rigorous methods to determine the effect of a certain initiative on costs.
- "GAO: More Federal Spending Doesn't Mean Better Care" (Cheung, Fierce Healthcare, 7/27).