High-Value Health Care — A Sustainable Proposition

Health care in the United States is at a crossroads. With health care costs representing an unsustainable 17.6% of our gross domestic product, creation of a new, higher-value health care system has never been a greater priority. Although the rate of increase in health care spending has moderated during the economic recession, some experts predict that it will rebound as the economy recovers.Thus, the need for higher value in health care is urgent. The goal of high-value health care is to produce the best health outcomes at the lowest cost, and this goal has recently created a new alliance. . . .