Doctor and Patient

International Survey: U.S. Lags in Access, Quality, Use of Health IT

A new Commonwealth Fund survey of primary care physicians in 11 countries reveals that the United States lags far behind other countries in key areas of access, quality, and use of health information technology—undermining doctors' efforts to provide timely, high-quality care. Be sure to visit the new International Health Policy Data Center, where you can browse content by country or topic and create custom tables and charts using data from our international health policy surveys from 2006 to 2009.

UPDATED—Analysis of Health Reform Bills Highlights Similarities, Differences, Impacts, and Costs

October 23, 2009 - This report prepared by Commonwealth Fund researchers analyzes the similarities, differences, potential impacts, and costs of the three comprehensive health reform bills passed by key U.S. congressional committees. Also see interactive tables for side-by-side comparisons of the system reform and insurance provisions.

Purchasing High Performance - November 3, 2009

Welcome to the second issue of "Purchasing High Performance," a newsletter designed for employers and coalitions seeking value in health care, and sponsored by the National Business Coalition on Health and The Commonwealth Fund. In this issue, 80 percent agreement on health reform, defining the patient-centered medical home, hitting the co-pay sweet spot, and more.

Medicare Reforms Needed to Control Costs, Foster Innovation

November 2, 2009 - In the latest Commonwealth Fund/Modern Healthcare Health Care Opinion Leaders survey, experts in health care and health policy say they favor strengthening Medicare's ability to help control program costs and support broader health system reform.

New State Health Care Scorecard: Sharp Differences in Access, Quality, Avoidable Hospitalizations, and Cost Across U.S.

October 8, 2009 - The cost and quality of health care, as well as access to care and health outcomes, continue to vary widely among states, according to the Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance Health System's second state scorecard report. The states that led in the first state scorecard, released in 2007, generally continued to lead, often setting new benchmarks and widening the gap between leading and lagging states.

The Commonwealth Fund is a private foundation that aims to promote a high performing health care system that achieves better access, improved quality, and greater efficiency, particularly for society's most vulnerable. Read the 2008 Annual Report for highlights of the Fund's activities.

Health Reform

The Comprehensive Congressional Health Reform Bills of 2009

This report prepared by Commonwealth Fund researchers analyzes the similarities, differences, potential impacts, and costs of the three comprehensive health reform bills passed by key U.S. congressional committees. Also see interactive tables for side-by-side comparisons of the system reform and insurance provisions.

International Health Policy Data Center

Browse Publications and Create Custom Charts

Visit the new International Health Policy Data Center to browse content by country or topic and create custom tables and charts using data from our international health policy surveys from 2006 to 2009.

Commission on a High Performance Health System

The Path to a High Performance U.S. Health System:

A comprehensive set of insurance, payment, and system reforms could guarantee affordable health insurance coverage, improve health outcomes, and slow the growth of health spending by $3 trillion by the end of the next decade, according to this new report from The Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance Health System.

Featured Podcast

Changing the Culture of Nursing Homes Through Regulation

Over the last 20 years, the quality of life and care in nursing homes has improved dramatically. But some experts say federal and state regulations of nursing homes can get in the way of these important changes, if caregivers and home operators see surveyors—who visit homes to make sure they are complying with standards—as the enemy. A new Commonwealth Fund report suggests that state inspectors could, in fact, be agents of change.

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Fund Blog

Committing to Improvement in All Areas of Health Care

The Commonwealth Fund's 2009 State Scorecard shows that in areas of health system performance where we have made a commitment to reporting and improving performance, we see dramatic results. In this post, Douglas McCarthy looks at how to make improvements seen in hospital quality the norm across all areas of health care.

State Data Center

Interactive U.S. Map Offers State Rankings and Results

Visit an interactive map to view state-specific rankings and results compared to benchmarks, and to view the number of lives and dollars each state could save by achieving benchmark levels of performance. You can also compare states and generate custom tables and bar charts.

States in Action: Health IT

This issue explores the range of state health IT efforts, federal grants and other support for health IT, and challenges and lessons from state experiences.

Why Not the Best?

A Health Care Quality Improvement Resource

WhyNotTheBest.org is a new resource from The Commonwealth Fund, offering easily accessible, comparative information on health care performance for providers, researchers, and other professionals.