U.S. health care costs $2.5 trillion annually and accounts for about 18.2 percent of the national gross domestic product (GDP). As the nation’s health care costs continue to rise, Wisconsin’s cooperative health care environment can serve as an example of reducing costs while maintaining quality, according to Dr. John Toussaint, chief executive officer of the ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value in Appleton.
In his new book, “Potent Medicine: The Collaborative Cure for Healthcare,” Toussaint examines Wisconsin providers who have undertaken programs aimed at maximizing patient value.
The keys, he says, are delivery of care designed around the patient, transparency of treatment quality and cost and payment for outcomes. By focusing on the patient rather than insurance companies or doctors, reporting clear quality and cost statistics, and placing value on the quality of care, the U.S. can revolutionize health care delivery, Toussaint says.
The book is available for $30 in hardcover at www.createvalue.org or $9.99 for Kindle on www.amazon.com.
