In this course we will examine the changing role of the consumer in healthcare. Consumers are asking for more accountability in how healthcare is delivered and paid for. Healthcare professionals must make sure that they are delivering high quality, personalized care. Some of the topics we'll cover are: the healthcare ecosystem, new technologies in healthcare, the development of new payment models, change management in healthcare, data analytics. By the end of this course, you will be able to: 1. Explain the new role of consumers in healthcare delivery in order to respond to the demands in this changing industry 2. Identify the key players in the healthcare ecosystem 3. Describe how the healthcare system operates and its impact on consumer-driven healthcare. 4. Articulate the challenges facing consumers and providers in order to find potential solutions for these challenges.

This course will review the drivers of healthcare cost and solutions that have been proposed to address cost, quality and value of health care. Many point blame for high costs on payment models that pay healthcare providers for every service they provide to patients, essentially paying more for volume and service intensity. This is called a Fee for Service (FFS) payment model. Some solutions, arguably the more sustainable solutions, are the combined strategies of new payment models, care management, insurance plan designs, consumer engagement tools, and technology. Using that information we will explore various situations, showcasing coordinated care and payment strategies that can be implemented to improve patient health and the cost of delivery of healthcare services. By the end of this course, the learner should be able to: 1. Identify the drivers and trends of healthcare spending from the perspective of various stakeholders, including medical providers, insurers, government and private purchasers and payments 2. Critically assess the impact of strategic and financial approaches that have been put in place by the ACA and the various modifications. 3. Evaluate how healthcare payment models currently work and the new direction that value-based payment is taking. 4.Identify how financial and non-financial metrics can be appropriately combined to improve a healthcare stakeholders’ value proposition.

In this course, you will have the opportunity to learn about the great progress that has been made in measuring and evaluating quality of care. We will discuss key concepts and methods. You will also learn about how to use websites for comparing the quality of healthcare providers. The course content is intended for a wide range of participants – for example, people who have a general interest in quality of care, consumers seeking information about how to choose a provider for themselves or family members, or leaders of business organizations who are responsible for employee health insurance benefits and network of providers. By the end of this course, the learner should be able to: 1. Explain key developments regarding how quality of care is measured and evaluated in the US. 2. Articulate basic framework for evaluating quality of outcomes of care including types of and criteria for selecting quality measures for evaluating and comparing providers. 3. Discuss scientific issues and challenges for evaluating quality of care and methods for addressing these challenges. 4. Identify and apply resources and tools for comparing the quality of care of providers.