Adding Value to Total Joint Arthroplasty Care in an Academic Environment: The Utah Experience

Abstract

Background: Adding value in a university-based academic health care system provides unique challenges when compared to other health care delivery models. Herein, we describe our experience in adding value to joint arthroplasty care at the University of Utah, where the concept of value-based health care reform has become an embraced and driving force.

Methods: To improve the value, new resources were needed for care redesign, physician leadership, and engagement in alternative payment models. The changes that occurred at our institution are described.

Results: Real-time data and knowledgeable personnel working behind the scenes, while physicians provide clinical care, help move clinical pathway redesigns. Engaged physicians are essential to the successful implementation of value creation and care pathway redesign that can lead to improvements in value. An investment of money and resources toward added infrastructure and personnel is often needed to realize large-scale improvements. Alignment of providers, payers, and hospital administration, including by means of gainsharing programs, can lead to improvements.

Conclusion: Although significant care pathway redesign efforts may realize substantial initial cost savings, savings may be asymptotic in nature, which calls into question the likely sustainability of programs that incentivize or penalize payments based on historical targets.

Keywords: alternative payment models; care pathway redesign; quality; total joint arthroplasty; value.