Understanding of the Efficiency and Effectiveness of the Health Care System

For more than 20 years, the Dartmouth Atlas Project has documented glaring variations in how medical resources are distributed and used in the United States. The project uses Medicare data to provide information and analysis about national, regional, and local markets, as well as hospitals and their affiliated physicians. This research has helped policymakers, the media, health care analysts and others improve their understanding of our health care system and forms the foundation for many of the ongoing efforts to improve health and health systems across America. LEARN MORE

The fourfold variation in knee replacement rates highlights the need for improved physician and patient education and the use of shared decision-making to determine whether a patient should undergo the procedure.

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SPOTLIGHT

- Tracking Medicine: A Researcher's Quest to Understand Health Care
- An indispensable resource for those involved in public health and health policy, John Wennberg's new book, Tracking Medicine, uses his pioneering research to provide a framework for understanding the health care crisis, and outlines a roadmap for real change in the future. It is also a useful tool for anyone interested in understanding and forming their own opinion on the current debate.
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- Reflections on Geographic Variations in U.S. Health Care
- During the past several years, the Dartmouth research has drawn attention from policy makers, politicians and stakeholders in health care reform. While many of the findings are broadly accepted and their implications are already being translated into practice, some confusion about the Dartmouth work remains. In this document, we provide both brief responses to the questions that have been raised, and a more detailed discussion with full citations to peer-reviewed journal articles.
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- How The Center For Medicare And Medicaid Innovation Should Test Accountable Care Organizations
- Stephen M. Shortell, Lawrence P. Casalino and Elliott S. Fisher
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The Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care is based at The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice and is supported by a coalition of funders led by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.