Published in
Summer 2015
Smarter Ordering of Breast Biomarker Tests Could Save Millions in Health Care Dollars
A review of medical records for almost 200 patients with breast cancer suggests that more selective use of biomarker tests for such patients has the potential to save millions of dollars in health care spending without compromising care, according to Johns Hopkins researchers. Specifically, waiting to perform these tests until a patient has a full excisional biopsy instead of “reflexively” or automatically testing for them on initial small “core” biopsies could save as much as $117 million, according to a report on the study published in the July issue of The American Journal of Surgical Pathology.
Better Continuity of Care May Significantly Reduce Overuse of Medical Tests
A “look back” study of Medicare fee-for-service claims for more than 1.2 million patients over age 65 has directly affirmed and quantified a long-suspected link between lower rates of coordinated health care services and higher rates of unnecessary medical tests and procedures. In a report on the study published online May 18 in JAMA Internal Medicine, a trio of Johns Hopkins researchers say they analyzed 5 percent of Medicare claims using a previously validated set of 19 overused procedures and a measure of so-called continuity of care.