A Crisis in Care
The cost of medical care in America is high and growing rapidly. Our Medicaid costs alone have reached near crisis proportions. America's national debate has failed to bring together the diverse interest of hospitals, physicians, the insurance industry and government to provide the best care at an affordable cost. The prevailing view that there is a trade-off between cost and quality misses the point. Namely, the best care given at the appropriate time can result in improved patient outcomes and lower costs. And the best care today is guided by evidence-based medicine.
Evidence-based medicine is a rigorous approach to evaluating clinical research in the scientific literature and then developing practice recommendations or guidelines that are strongly and transparently substantiated. Because of the powerful effects evidence-base medicine has on patient outcome, it is considered to be "best practice". Unfortunately, the adaptation of evidence-based medicine and treatment by guidelines, where they exist, has been slow. CarePath was founded as a method of inducing change and delivering evidence-based care in America that can lead to better medical outcomes for the seriously ill and a reduction in the cost of care.