The best thing about this job is that we get to meet some really great people. Today we met some outstanding folks who are going to make a difference.

Cover America made a stop right here in Nashville today and a few of the change:healthcare team had a chance to catch up with them. The cross country trek to capture stories of consumers’ difficulties with the healthcare system is part of a Consumer Reports effort on the healthcare front.

We really enjoyed meeting Meg, Blake, Pauline and Liz. Even got our photo with the RV in Centennial Park, in the shadow of Hospital Corporation of America (oh, how we love the irony of that one). Many thanks to these folks for what they are doing - fighting for the healthcare consumer.

Meg is getting a much deserved break after three weeks …

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Got some nice ink today from our friends over at The Tennessean in the Healthcare section. Thanks to Getahn Ward there.

And double congrats to our friends at Data Advantage who got some in the same article. They have a nice new web site, too.

Be sure to check out what Data Advantage is doing with their Hospital Value Index.

And don’t miss their article in the WSJ!

Congrats!

I guess I’m a little confused with all of this concern over socialized healthcare. Seems like we’ve already got it . So what’s the big fuss?

Insurance = Socialism

Insurance is based on the concept of socialism.  Assemble a group and they all contribute to the group for the better of the whole to protect the individual. That’s what insurance is. We all pay in. Some really need it and use it and benefit from the group spread of the risk. Others don’t need it as much and they help cover the others who do with an eye toward having their future needs covered. Insurance is based on the most core principles of socialism.

Medicare = Socialism

Medicare is socialized healthcare. The government groups all people over 65 into a single pool. Everyone paid in with taxes and the government covers the majority of costs. So Medicare is already socialized. Ask anyone using …

Well ok… I kind of exaggerated a bit, but I cannot help but wonder to what extent this article may be inferring that sharing your health data can truly help you increase the quality of your health and health care.  It makes sense right.  The more you are willing to compare your data and experiences to that of others, the more likely you are to receive information that is pertinent to you and relevant to your health needs.

I came across a brief article in today’s iHealthBeat titled National Quality Forum Says Data Sharing Can Enhance Health Quality.

The article basically states that the NQF is calling for an IT application that combines quality data, clinical guidelines and decision support tools… which would consequently improve health quality if the data could be shared.

I wish I could tell you more… however the bulk of the information is contained in an article published …

So how do people choose a healthcare provider? We jokingly refer to it as the three C’s – Cost, Conversation and Quality. The truth is there are a lot of factors that go into a healthcare decision, but quality would seem to be what trumps all. But how is quality defined?

There is a lot of talk around quality. It’s another of the industry buzz words like transparency. And like transparency, quality can be entirely subjective. Ask the question, what is quality, and ultimately the answer emerges “I know it when I see it.”

But what are the elements of quality? We speak with people at different levels of income and various walks of life about quality in healthcare all of the …

As we’re working on the patient experience (with their providers) rating system, we got into an interesting “verbal brawl” of what quality means. No clear answer as everyone, and I do mean EVERYONE has differing opinions as to how quality is defined or what is meaningful to them.

So to set the stage internally, here are the “Eleven Dimensions of Quality” (yes, one more than ten):

1. Access: How easily accessible healthcare services are to patients – unrestricted by geographic, economic, social, organizational, or linguistic barriers
2. Technical performance: How well tasks are carried out by health professionals and facilities. Whether they meet expectations of technical quality and adhere to standards
3. Effectiveness of care: How well desired results/outcomes of care are achieved
4. Efficiency/Continuity of services: How well services are performed in relation to cost (do you only have to do an x-ray once or multiple times). Delivery of care by the same …
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