An analysis of 1.3 million patients across Washington state who received a health care service known to be commonly overused, the Washington Health Alliance (WHA) found that nearly half of the patients received care that is considered low value, or wasteful. That overuse of care amounted to an estimated $282 million in unnecessary health care spending in one year. The report, “First, Do No Harm: Calculating Health Care Waste in Washington State” utilizes the new MedInsight Health Waste Calculator to produce an analysis of low-value health care services across the state. The services measured include 47 common tests, procedures, and treatments that clinician-led national initiatives such as Choosing Wisely® and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force have determined are overused.
Read more:
- “First, Do No Harm: Calculating Health Care Waste in Washington State”. Washington Health Alliance. 2018 (PDF)
- MedInsight Waste Calculator: http://www.milliman.com/Solutions/Products/MedInsight-Waste-Calculator/