Customer-Directed Healthcare Reform with Episode Pricing by Douglas Emery

Synopsis

Emery assembles 10 chapters discussing problems with managed healthcare and proposes a solution using "episodes of care"--market-oriented care that takes into account consumer choice and value. Authors describe economics, risk, provider-driven care, improving the efficiency of Medicare, the employer's role, reimbursement programs, episode networks, provider performance and claims, the advantages of using information systems, and global payment programs. They outline methods of "focused factories," organizations that center on patient requirements, such as the Minnesota Healthcare Network. Annotation © 2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Biography

Douglas Emery is Vice President, Health Plans at MedStat, a healthcare information company within Thomson Corp. He previously served as President of Zoadigm Health Systems, Inc. in Salt Lake City and Research Fellow at the Institute of Political Economy at Utah State University. His experience includes developing marketing-oriented policies for health reform and global fee reimbursement programs.