Reducing Unwarranted Care Variation and Improving Outcomes Through Data (117H)

The Institute of Medicine estimates that 30% of healthcare in the U.S. is unwarranted and offers no value to the patient. Hospitals, health systems and other providers have long battled the issue of unwarranted clinical variation, categorized as the over- or under-utilization of care due to deviations from evidence-based standards. Intentionally and aggressively addressing variation is crucial for improving the quality and appropriateness of care, as well as controlling healthcare costs. In 2022, Lifepoint Health formed a team dedicated to tackling the challenges of unwarranted care variation across its system. The team went through a process to understand the care variation-related challenges hospitals face and then created, standardized and implemented processes and protocols that enable the consistent delivery of care across settings and patient populations. Lifepoint combined high-quality EMR data with strong clinical and executive leadership and direct provider engagement to build a successful model of care variation reduction that continues to be used across the health system.

Hear from clinical and hospital leadership about Lifepoint's comprehensive approach that involves evidence-based care standardization, clinical analytics, process improvement and change management. Leaders will discuss the results of their approach, how they implemented key programs as well as outcomes and results, including a focus on sepsis and heart failure in the first year that saved an estimated 79 lives and avoided more than 2,300 LOS days.