Project Description Narrative:
Medical waste, often referred to as low-value care (LVC), is “patient care that offers no net benefit in specific clinical scenarios, which can lead to patient harm and unnecessary spending.” Medical waste costs an estimated $100 to $450 billion per year in the U.S. LVC produces poor care quality, impedes patient safety, contributes to health inequity, and increases costs in Wisconsin.
This project will address a substantial knowledge gap and begin to reduce LVC in Wisconsin through two primary goals. First, it will cultivate leaders among physician, employer, health plan, and health plan members as primary stakeholders. These leaders, in turn, will educate their peers about LVC in Wisconsin. Second, the project will establish an LVC research hub and develop the informatics framework to support data-driven strategies to address LVC.
Community partners: Business Health Care Group, The Alliance, WI Employee Trust Fund, Wisconsin Medical Society