Outpatient care and payment reform are some of the healthcare trends orthopedic surgeon Sigurd Berven, MD, of University of California San Francisco Health is most interested in.
Dr. Berven told Becker's Spine Review about why he's following the following three trends closest:
1. Payment reform in healthcare
Fee-for-service medicine has led to unsustainable increases in healthcare costs and is unsustainable. There is no informed consumer of healthcare that would enter a fee for service payment model, and consumers are finally developing alternative models of payment. Integrated care models and ACOs are value-based healthcare models that will be preferred by purchasers who have a choice. Development of novel ACOs that balance patient preference and cost-effectiveness will be the most important healthcare trend in the next decade.
2. Artificial intelligence and application to appropriate use criteria
The convergence of large data analysis and machine learning is empowering clinicians to develop algorithms that have predictive value in the outcomes of care for a wide range of pathologies, including spinal disorders. Accurate information on expected benefits and risks of care that is precise for the individual patient will empower physicians and patients to make informed decisions, and will guide the appropriate use of both operative and non-operative interventions.
3. Evolution of ambulatory care surgery
Ambulatory care surgery offers significant cost and efficiency advantages compared with traditional hospital-based care. The important priority in developing ASCs is to keep the patient centered in decision making. There is a significant risk of moral hazard in ambulatory surgery where there is a disassociation of risk and benefit regarding the parties of patient and provider. Keeping the patient centered and prioritized in decisions regarding care needs to guide how we choose the appropriate cases for ASCs.