Do Integrated Delivery Systems Provide Higher Quality and Less Expensive Care?

I have always been somewhat dubious about the claim that hospital mergers and the development of integrated delivery systems (IDSs) will provide less expensive and higher quality care. A recent article discussed this idea in depth (see: The Downside of Merging Doctors and Hospitals). Below is an excerpt from it:One approach...[to the fragmentation of healthcare] is to consolidate more of the health care you need in one organization called an integrated delivery system. An I.D.S. owns one or several hospitals and also employs physicians across multiple specialties. It may also provide nursing home and rehabilitation care. In some cases, an integrated delivery system may offer its own health insurance plans.Advocates of this approach claim that the coordinated care an I.D.S. offers is not only better for patients but also reduces duplication and avoids unnecessary services, thus lowering costs. Kaiser Permanente, Intermountain Healthcare, the Mayo Clinic and Geisinger Health System are some of the integrated delivery systems with reputations for high quality and low costs.However, the evidence suggests that an I.D.S. doesn ’t always improve patient care and keep costs down. Some studies have found an I.D.S. is more likely to use evidence-based care or is better able to manage care. But other studies offer more mixed conclusions. A study published in Health Services Research found that after Minneapolis-St. Paul area hospitals acquired physi...
Source: Lab Soft News - Category: Laboratory Medicine Authors: Tags: Cost of Healthcare Electronic Health Record (EHR) General Healthcare Healthcare Business Healthcare Delivery Quality of Care Source Type: blogs