Abstract :

Productivity improvement has become an increasingly important solution to the cost containment and resource allocation problems which face the healh care system. The National Council on Health Planning and Development (NCHPD) has been charged by the Secretary of HEW to study issues relating to fostering productivity in health care. The NCHPD is focusing on altering incentives for productivity in three areas: institutional care, medical technology/clinical practice, and health care personnel. This proposal seeks to convene a conference to discuss incentives for improving productivity in health care. The conference would invite representatives of provider groups, business, labor, third-party payors, academics, private consultants, and government agencies. The conference would develop policy recommendations and a research agenda in three areas: Productivity in health care institutions, productivity and health care technology, and productivity of health manpower. This conference would be managed by the University of Massachusetts and would be sponsored jointly by the National Center for Health Services Research and Health Resources Administration, DHEW.