By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    What Are the Benefits of CBD?
    November 27, 2021
    How to Measure Adult Diapers- The Ultimate Guide to Picking the Right Size
    March 8, 2022
    medicine cabinet
    The Effect Of Finished Dosage Form Manufacturing In New Drugs
    July 5, 2022
    Latest News
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
    The Wide-Ranging Benefits of Magnesium Supplements
    June 11, 2025
    The Best Home Remedies for Migraines
    June 5, 2025
    The Hidden Impact Of Stress On Your Body’s Alignment And Balance
    May 22, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Advancing Your Healthcare Career through Education and Specialization
    April 16, 2025
    PPACA: “It’s in there!”
    September 9, 2017
    Much Ado about Nothing
    September 13, 2017
    Latest News
    Let Your Lawyer Handle the Work Before You Pay Medical Costs
    July 6, 2025
    Top HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps for Healthcare Teams
    June 25, 2025
    When Healthcare Ends, the Legal Process Begins: What Families Should Know About Probate and Medical Estates
    June 20, 2025
    Preventing Contamination In Healthcare Facilities Starts With Hygiene
    June 15, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Can Decision Aids Help Lower Medical Costs?
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Business > Can Decision Aids Help Lower Medical Costs?
Business

Can Decision Aids Help Lower Medical Costs?

DavidEWilliams
DavidEWilliams
Share
3 Min Read
SHARE

The third-party reimbursement model drives up medical costs because patients miss out on the price signals that in a normal market would cause them to seek less costly alternatives and avoid wasteful spending. Various types of cost-sharing approaches –co-payments, deductibles, tiered networks, consumer directed health plans– have been tried, but they have limited effectiveness.

The third-party reimbursement model drives up medical costs because patients miss out on the price signals that in a normal market would cause them to seek less costly alternatives and avoid wasteful spending. Various types of cost-sharing approaches –co-payments, deductibles, tiered networks, consumer directed health plans– have been tried, but they have limited effectiveness. A major shortcoming is the assumption that patients actually want more health care services, just like they would presumably go wild in the Apple store or Nordstrom if you set them loose there with a co-pay and formulary.

I believe that patients actually just want to get better and that they will be willing to forego expensive services and products when it makes sense to do so. Therefore I’m heartened by the results of a study published in Health Affairs (Introducing Decision Aids At Group Health Was Linked To Sharply Lower Hip And Knee Surgery And Costs). Here’s the abstract:

Decision aids are evidence-based sources of health information that can help patients make informed treatment decisions. However, little is known about how decision aids affect health care use when they are implemented outside of randomized controlled clinical trials. We conducted an observational study to examine the associations between introducing decision aids for hip and knee osteoarthritis and rates of joint replacement surgery and costs in a large health system in Washington State. Consistent with prior randomized trials, our introduction of decision aids was associated with 26 percent fewer hip replacement surgeries, 38 percent fewer knee replacements, and 12–21 percent lower costs over six months. These findings support the concept that patient decision aids for some health conditions, for which treatment decisions are highly sensitive to both patients’ and physicians’ preferences, may reduce rates of elective surgery and lower costs.

More Read

Stressing Employee Sleep and How It Can Impact Your Practice, Hospital, and Overall Productivity
5 Strategies For Improving Healthcare Efficiency
Patient Centricity – It’s Time for a New Focus
Reasons to Reform Medicaid
How To Choose The Right Dentist: Try These 6 Simple Steps

This approach is no panacea. For example it only applies to a subset of medical costs. But it confirms to me that patients are more than willing to entertain less costly interventions when it makes sense to do so.

 

 


TAGGED:decision aids
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

9 Lifestyle Tweaks That Can Add Years to Your Life
9 Healthcare Lifestyle Tweaks That can Add Years to Your Life
lifestyle
July 11, 2025
car accident lawsuit
Let Your Lawyer Handle the Work Before You Pay Medical Costs
Policy & Law
July 6, 2025
women dental care
What Is a Smile Makeover and How Much Does It Cost?
Dental health
June 30, 2025
HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps
Top HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps for Healthcare Teams
Global Healthcare Policy & Law Technology
June 25, 2025

You Might also Like

medical lab business
BusinessHospital Administration

Tips for Starting a Medical Lab Business

January 25, 2022
digital health
BusinesseBookMedical InnovationsTechnology

10 Digital Health Mavens to Watch – And Why We Need You to Pick Yourself

September 25, 2014

FDA Approves Roche/Genentech Drug Erivedge to Treat Advanced Skin Cancer Not Treatable with Surgery

February 1, 2012
TalkItt App for speech impaired
BusinesseHealthMedical InnovationsTechnology

TalkItt: An App That Gives Voice to the Speech Impaired

September 2, 2014
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?