There is not enough evidence to support or refute the notion that higher regional healthcare costs equate to inappropriate care, according to a study led by Salomeh Keyhani, MD, a physician at the San Francisco VA Medical Center and an assistant professor of medicine UCSF.
For their study, researchers assessed 114,830 researcher articles published between January 1978 and January 2009. Of all those papers, they found only five articles that analyzed the correlation between geographic regions and clinical data, and even those results did not support the idea that higher cost regions have higher levels of inappropriate care.
"The assumption is that areas that spend more are delivering more inappropriate care in the form of unnecessary tests and procedures," Dr. Keyhani said in the UCSF report. "This has led policy makers to hold up low-cost areas as models of high-quality healthcare and to propose policies that cap spending."
The researchers suggested lawmakers craft legislation that targets inappropriate healthcare delivery, regardless of region.
For their study, researchers assessed 114,830 researcher articles published between January 1978 and January 2009. Of all those papers, they found only five articles that analyzed the correlation between geographic regions and clinical data, and even those results did not support the idea that higher cost regions have higher levels of inappropriate care.
"The assumption is that areas that spend more are delivering more inappropriate care in the form of unnecessary tests and procedures," Dr. Keyhani said in the UCSF report. "This has led policy makers to hold up low-cost areas as models of high-quality healthcare and to propose policies that cap spending."
The researchers suggested lawmakers craft legislation that targets inappropriate healthcare delivery, regardless of region.
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