I think this article highlights some important and to an extent nuanced ideas related to improving healthcare performance. In much of the press, both commercial and academic, measurement and metrics — the technical detail and caveats – are often overlooked as we search for solutions and try to improve. At Nascate we have spent years on the definitional task … as the precursor to our modeling and analytic work. This article highlights regression to the mean on some of the measures but barely touched upon are the softer non-utilization measures (that are really hard to measure) that could be part of the discussion.
I have referenced this before but just because it is measurable does not make it important … nor do short term changes necessarily translate into sustainable change.
I suggest the industry needs to implement a new set of metrics – to meet the objectives of Value Based Care. Increasing use of metrics such as Lifetime Value, measures of Trust and Relationships (both person to provider and provider to provider), retention, etc. need to be added to and in some cases replace existing performance metrics.
If you manage what you measure — lets measure to our state objectives not what is easiest.