Medicine is entering the era of high-value care—and physician stewardship is at its core. Should a physician provide care that may only be marginally beneficial because a patient requests it? How should tests be handled in the inpatient versus outpatient setting? And what kind of training should students receive so they can give high-value care? Learn more about these questions and physicians’ ethical obligations in managing health care resources.
The November issue of the AMA Journal of Ethics investigates the increasing call for cost transparency as well as the roles physicians and patients should play in achieving high-value care in the changing health care landscape.
This issue features:
- “The era of high-value care.” A new ethos for practicing medicine emphasizes reducing medical errors, minimizing waste, containing costs and improving adherence to quality metrics.
- “The high-value care considerations of inpatient versus outpatient testing.” These decisions must consider the patient’s best interest, overall needs of the health care system, and costs to other patients whose testing may be delayed.
- “The challenge of understanding health care costs and charges.” The price transparency movement seeks to make actual medical costs clear to patients and clinicians.
- AMA Code of Medical Ethics’ opinion on physician stewardship. How does the need for physician stewardship of health care resources fit with the ethical obligation is to promote the well-being of individual patients? Find out what the Code says.
In the journal’s November podcast, Wendy Levinson, MD, explains how the Choosing Wisely campaign fosters change in medical culture by stimulating dialogue about overuse of tests and treatments. Dr. Levinson is Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto and leads Choosing Wisely Canada and International.
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The journal’s editorial focus is on commentaries and articles that offer practical advice and insight for medical students and physicians.
