Using Geographic Variations to Improve Quality and Reduce Costs in the Military Health System
Abstract
The objective of this project is to conduct analysis to understand variations in low back pain incidence, treatment, and outcomes within the Military Health System to inform clinical policy and resource allocation. IDA analyzes of over 232 million health care claims to support the documentation of variations in per-capita spending and physical therapy treatment within the MHS. We find evidence of meaningful variations in both spending and treatment that have implications for health system reform. Reducing spending to the lowest-spending, highest performing regions could result in up to 30 percent savings across the enterprise. Similarly, adopting enterprise standards of care for physical therapy, such as direct access to services without a referral, can encourage adoption of high-value services and decrease unwarranted variations in utilization and outcomes.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2022
- Accession Number
- AD1199667
Entities
People
- Andrew F. Furlong
- Astrid I. Berge
- Ryan W. Murphy
- Vivian Gao
- W. P. Luan
Organizations
- Institute for Defense Analyses
- The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice