The Washington Health Alliance (Alliance) and Bree Collaborative (Bree) at the Foundation for Health Care Quality are teaming up to encourage everyone involved in the Washington state health care system
Posts Categorized: Overuse
How Low Can You Go?
Last week, I had the opportunity to attend the Seattle Business magazine awards gala to recognize Health Care Leaders in the state. It was wonderful to see Alliance members and
Announcing New Board Opioid Initiative
I am delighted to share some exciting Alliance news. As a way to support not just reporting on the health care system, but propelling action to improve it, the Alliance’s
Reflections and Resolutions from the Corner Office
I’m proud to say that 2019 brought the Alliance several firsts-in-the-nation and in our state. We: reported on the wide variation of actual prices for inpatient treatment (including facility and
Alliance Releases the Latest Waste Report
We’ve gotten a lot of attention from our latest report released last week, using the Milliman MedInsight Health Waste Calculator™ (Calculator) to look at waste in terms of the 47
Hospital Price Transparency: It’s complicated
You cut your finger making dinner. You’re not sure if you need stitches, and you have a high deductible. You quickly check online for the cost and the waiting time
Building our next health system: Highlights from the Lown Conference
The Lown Institute’s Annual Conference was held last week, with the theme of “Breaking the cycle of high cost and low value: America’s next health system.” The Alliance’s Deputy Director,
April 2018 Letter from the Executive Director: Taking Action on Health Waste Calculator Results
In February, the Alliance released “First, Do No Harm,” our report on unnecessary health care in Washington state. The report used the MedInsight Health Waste Calculator to quantify wasteful care
Experts Agree − Solving the Healthcare Affordability Crisis Will Require Actions by Employers, Others
Seattle, WA —Employers, healthcare providers, and other industry leaders today gathered in Seattle to discuss the roles they can play in reining in the rising cost of U.S. healthcare. Experts
New Study Finds Hundreds of Thousands of Washington Patients Receive Unnecessary Tests, Procedures, and Treatments
In one year, an estimated $282 million was spent on “wasteful” health care for 622,000 Washington patients Washington becomes just the third state in the nation to use a new
Alliance and Bree Collaborative issue call to action to fight opioid misuse
Opioid addiction is driving the drug overdoses which are claiming too many lives in the US. In 2015 alone, 718 people in Washington state died from opioid-related overdoses. The epidemic
Alliance leverages voluntary APCD as a public resource for promoting transparency
Shining a light on unwarranted variation in health care drives our efforts on public reporting of health care performance. In the coming weeks, we will be publishing reports on variation.
Choosing Wisely addresses overtreatment
In a recent New Yorker article, Atul Gawande explores the ongoing crisis of unnecessary care in the United States, discussing the issues with doctors, patients and those who study the
The American College of Emergency Physicians finds increased ER use in March poll
Last week, the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) released the results of a poll conducted in March that found three-quarters of emergency physicians have seen an increase in emergency
Local organizations use Choosing Wisely to improve quality of patient care
Last week we posted about the accomplishments of our Choosing Wisely campaign, a national initiative helping physicians and patients have conversations about the overuse of tests and procedures and supporting physicians’ efforts
Celebrating two years of collaboration and success for Choosing Wisely
Choosing Wisely® is a national initiative helping physicians and patients have conversations about the overuse of tests and procedures and supporting physician efforts to help patients make smart and effective
Reducing avoidable emergency room visits in Washington state
Too often emergency rooms become the place where patients go with problems that are not emergencies. When simple medical concerns that can be treated easily and more cost effectively in
Everyone has a role to play in addressing the problem of overuse
The Alliance has set as a priority strategic goal reducing overuse of health care services in our state. With unnecessary medical procedures accounting for almost 30 percent of health care