Ask survivors to place a value on a future free from cancer, and they will say it's priceless.
Put
the question to a growing number of faculty and employees, and many
will point to a wide range of initiatives designed to define, measure,
share -- and improve -- the value of MD Anderson care.
"Value is
defined as cost of care as a function of the desired outcome --
achieving the best possible outcome for the patient's cancer at the
lowest cost necessary to achieve that desired outcome," says Randal Weber, M.D., professor and chair of the Department of Head and Neck Surgery.
Known
as the "science of improvement," this new dimension of research is
helping prepare MD Anderson for an era of health care laws, reduced
reimbursements, tougher competition and a mandate for public
transparency.
Such research and data also can drive policy, improve care and enhance patient satisfaction.
Working in partnership with MD Anderson's quality and performance improvement groups, the Institute for Cancer Care Excellence has launched initiatives to look for ways to eliminate waste, reduce costs, quantify quality care and increase revenues.
This is just one piece of a larger story demonstrating how MD Anderson is preparing for the future of health care.
Read about this topic, plus much more, in the Annual Report issue of Conquest magazine.
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