MILWAUKEE, WI – A new poll of U.S. healthcare quality improvement experts shows that solving payment problems and restructuring malpractice suits/tort reform top the list of areas that would help to eliminate waste.

The online poll was conducted with 120 healthcare quality professionals who are members of The American Society for Quality. The quality experts surveyed work in a diverse range of healthcare organizations from hospitals to public health departments.

The subject of waste in health systems is a critical financial issue, as recent studies estimate U.S. healthcare system waste at $600-$800 billion annually.

The ASQ says that quality improvement methods proven successful in manufacturing environments have only recently been applied in healthcare. For instance, the organization says Lean methods, which emphasize removal of waste from healthcare organizations and processes and focuses on delivering more value to patients, could be implemented in many more facilities.

According to the ASQ poll, healthcare quality experts believe payment systems (e.g. billing, coding and insurance claims) would be one of their first target areas. They say addressing those issues is critical in order to reduce the massive overload of billing and insurance paperwork that is causing added expense as well as frustration and delays for patients and doctors.

In addition, the poll respondents said the limited information-sharing that currently exists in the healthcare system creates re-work and serious errors in some cases.

This issue was closely followed by the need to establish tort reform and limit liability claims against physicians in order to decrease the cost of liability insurance paid by physicians.

Other waste-reducing solutions suggested provided by the quality experts include:

• Mandate a universal system of electronic healthcare recordkeeping with bar-coding to provide real-time, nationwide access to patient records. Everyone involved in an individual's healthcare would see the same information, at the same time, anywhere in the country.
• Implement the criteria of both Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and ISO 9001 in all provider organizations.
• Create a free-market competition for insurance (inter-state.)
• Make preventive care/annual medical check-ups standardized, readily and affordably available without hassle; with their computerized documentation a mandatory top priority. Waste reduced by ensuring timely medical interventions.

The ASQ has been the sole administrator of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award since 1991, is a founding sponsor of the American Customer Satisfaction Index and also produces the Quarterly Quality Report.