Introduction to State Health Policy:
A Seminar for New State Legislators

Session 4:
Quality and Cost: Achieving Value in Today’s Health Care System

Presenter:	Brent James, M.D., M.Stat. Executive Director Vice President for Medical Research Institute for Health Care Delivery Research Intermountain Health Care Salt Lake City, UT
Content:	With States battling increased health care costs, many might ask if they can afford to focus on quality. This session explores the current state of health care quality, how quality and costs are inextricably connected, how focusing on quality can impact costs, and what States can do to improve quality of care. Since the release of the Institute of Medicine’s 1999 sentinel report To Err is Human, improving patient safety and reducing medical errors emerged as key priorities for many health policymakers. Since that time, much attention has been focused on the issue. Two additional IOM reports that focused on whether health care is delivered properly and results in favorable patient outcomes were released, as were the Department of Health and Human Services national report cards on quality – the National Healthcare Quality Report and the National Healthcare Disparities Report.
Session Archive:	Click to View Archive (REAL Player)
Session Transcript:	Text Transcript
Presentation Slides:	PowerPoint fomat (.67 mb) text format

Recommended reading:

• National Conference of State Legislatures. “State Health Lawmakers’ Digest.” Fall 2004;5(1).
• Yondorf B. “Evidence-Based Medicine and State Health Policy.” In Balancing Health Needs with Resources. National Conference of State Legislatures, September 2004.