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Biosketch:
Dr. Fisher is also a general internist at the Department of Veterans Affairs
Medical Center in White River Junction, Vermont where he co-directs the
VA Outcomes Group, a research and training program for physicians. His
research interests lie in three areas. First, he has worked to clarify
the limitations of administrative databases and develop methods to overcome
them. Second, he has developed approaches to resource allocation based
upon the principles of benchmarking, first as a means of addressing inequities
in the levels of hospital resources across communities in Oregon and more
recently as applied to the U.S. physician supply. Most recently, he has
focused on the health implications of the uneven distribution of health
care resources. His current research, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation, examines the potential adverse consequences of increasing
capacity in health care.
Abstract:
Two fold differences in per-capita Medicare spending are observed across
U.S. regions that are independent of both local medical prices or underlying
illness levels. Recent studies indicate that regions with a less conservative
(and thus higher cost) practice pattern provide lower quality care and
achieve worse health outcomes for Medicare enrollees. The presentation
will examine evidence on the causes of these differences in spending and
quality -- and the implications for policy and practice.
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