Research
18 Nov 2020
The right health care the right way
Global case studies in reducing low-value care
Billions of dollars are wasted annually in the United States on “low value” health care services such as unnecessary diagnostic tests, trips to the emergency room, and avoidable surgeries. Explore how some organizations globally are using innovative approaches and technologies to combat this issue.
Low-value health care—services of low, no, or even negative impact on patients, as well as services delivered in an unsafe or inefficient manner—is pervasive across the globe. Reducing it is essential if we are to lower costs while also pursuing innovation and improving health quality and outcomes.
The Deloitte Center for Health Solutions conducted extensive research and interviewed experts to see what is working globally to reduce low-value care. The resulting case studies, spanning 10 organizations in five different countries, illuminate four avenues for reducing low-value care:
- Providing the right care: Curbing services that offer few or no patient benefits
- Delivering care in the right setting: Curtailing unwarranted emergency department utilization
- Delivering care safely: Tackling safety failures
- Providing care in the right way: Rooting out operational inefficiencies
