Global Aging Forum: The Implications of Medical Practice Variations for Health-care Reform: Findings of the Dartmouth Atlas of H

Speaker:
John E.Wennberg, Peggy Y. Thomson Professor (Chair) in the Evaluative Clinical Sciences & Founder and Director Emeritus, The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice

Chaired by:
Richard Jackson, Director, CSIS Global Aging Initiative

Is much of the health care that Americans consume unnecessary? The huge variations in rates of utilization of health-care services across the United States suggest that the answer is yes. The Dartmouth Atlas represents a major ongoing effort to document and explain variations in health-care utilization and spending. Dr. John E. Wennberg, the founding editor of the Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care, discussed the reasons for the variations, describeed possible strategies for eliminating them, and assessed the potential impact on health-care spending.