{"id":4086,"date":"2014-10-03T11:32:58","date_gmt":"2014-10-03T15:32:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/geiselmed.dartmouth.edu\/news\/?p=4086"},"modified":"2014-10-03T11:32:58","modified_gmt":"2014-10-03T15:32:58","slug":"jim-weinstein-how-we-can-increase-price-transparency-in-health-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/geiselmed.dartmouth.edu\/news\/2014\/jim-weinstein-how-we-can-increase-price-transparency-in-health-care\/","title":{"rendered":"Jim Weinstein: How we can increase price transparency in health care"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Dr. Jim Weinstein<\/em><\/p>\n

Note: This op-ed originally appeared in the New Hampshire Union Leader<\/a> on Oct. 2, 2014<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

There has been\u00a0a great deal of focus in recent months on hospital prices and the need for more public reporting \u2014 more transparency.<\/p>\n

I couldn\u2019t agree more, and that\u2019s why Dartmouth-Hitchcock posts its prices for common procedures on its web site.<\/p>\n

But knowing price only gives you one part of what one needs to know. Think about it: when you buy anything else, whether it\u2019s a car or a washing machine, or a service like having your house painted, you want to know the price ahead of your purchase.<\/p>\n

In addition though, you want to know about the quality and how it performs against other products on the market.<\/p>\n

Most don\u2019t automatically buy the cheapest car; most buy the one that gives them the most value for their money. You look at mileage, maintenance, reviews from over the counter products like Consumer Reports, you look on websites and talk to friends about their experience, and then you make your decision.<\/p>\n

Unless you know the quality and performance of the product of interest, buying simply based on price is flying blind.<\/p>\n

Well, today U.S. Health Care Airlines is flying blind.<\/p>\n

Health Care Airlines has no instrument panels, no gauges to tell us how high we are flying, how much fuel we have and yet everyday, tens of thousands of patients and families are getting on board and trusting that they\u2019ll get to their destination safely. Thankfully, most all do, because of the excellent training and skills of their physicians, nurses, and other health professionals.<\/p>\n

In health care, our instrument panel is data. In a sustainable health system, data is critical to our ability to measure quality and deliver transparent value to the patients and families we serve.<\/p>\n

Imagine if in addition to being able to obtain the price of any medical procedure you\u2019re contemplating, you could get information about quality and actual outcomes. After all, we can look at the side of any cereal box and it will list what is inside; why not your health care system, your doctor, your hospital, or why not all three.<\/p>\n

In a transparent sustainable health system, here are some questions every patient should be able to ask of me or any health care provider, to make a value-based judgment about where to have their surgery or treatment:<\/p>\n