The cost of health care services greatly influences clinical decision-making and subsequent outcomes. Essential hospitals feel unique cost-related pressures due to their vulnerable patient populations, many of whom are under- or uninsured.
Providers, health organizations, and patients must be able to share and receive cost information in order to ensure the best possible care. In the first installment of a new Cost of Care Conversations webinar series, participants learned why cost of care conversations are crucial for equitable, quality care, and gained practical tools for facilitating them.
Peter Ubel, MD, physician and behavioral scientist at Duke University, shared research on the role of cost of care conversations in clinical encounters. Emmy Ganos, PhD, of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), gave an overview of RWJF-funded research on Cost of Care Conversations and shared how the resulting evidence-based tools and resources can guide these important conversations.