Mayo Clinic Health Policy Center symposium aims for high-value health care system in the US

In a sustained effort to seek consensus-driven, patient-centered priorities that would build a high-value health care system, the Mayo Clinic Health Policy Center hosted a symposium Dec. 5-7 entitled "Achieving the Vision: Advancing High-Value Health Care," which featured patients, providers, payers and national policy experts.

"We need a collaborative approach to fixing the health care system," says John Noseworthy, M.D., president and CEO of Mayo Clinic. "When people discuss the need to reform the system, it's characterized in terms of 'we.' We have to do this together." Dr. Noseworthy stressed Mayo Clinic's commitment to patient-centered, high-value health care and invited participants to join together to build the mandate for higher-quality, lower-cost health care in the United States.

Among the panelists and speakers were Richard Gilfillan, M.D., acting director, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation; Randall Krakauer, M.D., national medical director for Medicare, Aetna; Carolyn Clancy, director, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; Karen Ignagni, president and CEO, America's Health Insurance Plans; and Susan Dentzer, editor-in-chief, Health Affairs. A full list of panelists, including selected participant interviews, can be found on the Mayo Clinic Health Policy Center blog.

Panelists and participants discussed many key issues, including payment reform, shared decision-making, Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) and electronic health records.

Don Fisher, Ph.D., of the American Medical Group Association, says that care delivered to Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries often is episodic and fragmented. He stressed new payment models must support integrated care. "Until we change the incentives, we won't get there," says Dr. Fisher. He added the system today is, "all about the money."

Linda Fishman, senior vice president, Public Policy Analysis and Development, American Hospital Association, emphasized the importance of ACOs and care bundling, "Delivery system reform should go full-speed ahead," she stresses.

At the completion of the panel sessions, participants made a series of recommendations based on health care goals and criteria. The highest ranked recommendations, based upon importance and urgency, include:

1. Change the reimbursement system to reward value
2. Incent interoperability of health care information technology systems
3. Drive practice reform with payment reform
4. Change incentives -- clinical, financial and cultural -- to allow patients to move through an individualized continuum of care across all settings