University of California Press The Quality Cure: How Focusing on Health Care Quality Can Save Your Life and Lower Spending Too: Volume 9 (Wildavsky Forum Series)

In the United States, the soaring cost of health care has become an economic drag and a political flashpoint. Moreover, although the country's medical spending is higher than that of any other nation, health outcomes are no better than elsewhere, and in some cases are even worse. In The Quality Cure, renowned health care economist and former Obama advisor David Cutler offers an accessible and incisive account of the issues and their causes, as well as a road map for the future of health care reform--one that shows how information technology, realigned payment systems, and value-focused organizations together have the power to resolve this seemingly intractable problem and transform the US health care system into one that is affordable, efficient, and effective. Review "Cutler has an exceptional ability to tackle an extremely complex topic, such as US health care spending, and make it simple and understandable for noneconomists while remaining true to the theory and science... The Quality Cure should be required reading for those who manage or provide care. In particular, medical students and residents need to understand the ideas in this compelling book. Until now, health care has not had such a simultaneously scholarly and accessible book. Those seasoned in policy making will benefit from Cutler's insider look, his clear and concise way of communicating complex topics, and the detailed references and figures. Those new to the policy efforts around reducing costs and improving quality will also benefit from Cutler's simplified conceptual framework, his clear and compelling language, and his disciplined approach... Cutler's experience, scholarship, and practical wisdom lay out a clear theory of change and policy recommendations for achieving it." -- Peter J. Pronovost Health Affairs From the Inside Flap "This is the book to read on health care." Tom Daschle, former US Senate Majority Leader "Only in America could we have a health system where the prices are secret, varying by huge amounts within and across markets, and completely disconnected from the quality and experience of care delivered. The Quality Cure shows how reconnecting prices to quality will help health care work better. David Cutler shows the potential for healthcare." Bob Kocher, former Special Assistant to President Obama for Healthcare and Economic Policy "Cutler's insights are illuminating . . . a must-read for those who care about real improvement in our health care system." Richard M. Scheffler, Distinguished Professor of Health Economics and Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley "In Your Money or Your Life, David Cutler taught the world that the rapid rise in health care spending over the past forty years has been worth it. In The Quality Cure, he takes the next step, showing us how we can control the burden of health care costs while increasing quality. This book is a treasure trove of critical facts about what works and what doesn't in health care and of invaluable insights about how to translate those facts into practice. In a policy arena fraught with zero-sum solutions, Cutler reminds us that we can have our quality and afford it too." Jonathan Gruber, Professor of Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology "In The Quality Cure, David Cutler sketches the cost, access, and quality problems that have plagued our health care system for the past few decades: problems caused by the wrong incentives, lack of transparency, and the near absence of the technological infrastructure that has modernized virtually every other industry. He then paints a clear and compelling portrait of the much-improved health care system within our grasp, in which quality improvements driven by information technology, payment incentives, and a medical community with renewed purpose are improving health and lowering spending. He persuasively deploys real-world examples of changes occurring in Massachusetts and elsewhere,