Implementation of Provider Perspectives Resulted in Proper Health Care Resource Utilization

摘要

The Department of Defense Military Health System (MHS) is under constant pressure to decrease costs and increase operational efficiencies. One of the methods to decrease these inefficiencies is through the use of provider profiling systems. One such system is Provider Perspectives. This study shows that Provider Perspectives significantly decreased Emergency Room utilization and subsequently increased the usage of primary care clinics at Martin Army Community Hospital and Winn Army Community Hospital. A significant monthly cost avoidance of $49,000 was shown for Winn. Although, Martin Army Community Hospital showed an increase in monthly operating costs, access to health care increased. This study points out that although Provider Perspectives had a significant affect on usage and cost avoidance, it had a minimal affect on the two quality measures studied: cervical screenings and mammograms.