high-cost patients

While we're on vacation, we're re-posting content from earlier in the year. This post was originally published on January 27, 2011. By Liz Borkowski Atul Gawande's latest New Yorker article, "The Hot Spotters," is a must-read for anyone concerned about the out-of-control growth of US healthcare costs (and that description should apply to everyone in this country). It's about possible solutions to the problem of the highest-cost patients, who account for a disproportionate share of healthcare spending but often aren't getting the kind of care that could really improve their lives. Gawande…

Atul Gawande's latest New Yorker article, "The Hot Spotters," is a must-read for anyone concerned about the out-of-control growth of US healthcare costs (and that description should apply to everyone in this country). It's about possible solutions to the problem of the highest-cost patients, who account for a disproportionate share of healthcare spending but often aren't getting the kind of care that could really improve their lives. Gawande visits several organizations that are testing out ways to deliver better, more cost-effective care to patients with multiple chronic conditions and high…