Estimates suggest that as much as one-third of US healthcare spending is unnecessary or of low value, may be harmful to patients, and results in unnecessary tests, treatments, complications, or psychological distress. One of the major barriers to reducing overuse is how to identify it. Current data infrastructure often limits assessment of overuse, and developing measures remains challenging as the value of care is inherently tied to the clinical context and the values and goals of the patient receiving care. Our project organizes a deliberative dialogue with patients, researchers, providers, health system leaders, and payers to advance the science of reducing overuse through the following objectives: 1) to assess the current state and future research needs in overuse measurement, particularly as they pertain to implementation in comparative effectiveness research studies; 2) to understand how to assess patient-clinician interaction regarding overused interventions; 3) to understand how to incorporate the patient perspective of value into measures; and 4) to prioritize topics for overuse measures that need to be designed, developed, and tested.

Project Collaborator: ABIM Foundation.

Project Outputs: a summary of prioritized overuse measure topics; a paper on current state of the science and recommendations for future directions for overuse measures for comparative clinical effectiveness research; framework for development of patient-centered measures on overuse; and a public webinar on state of overuse measures and priorities for future measures development.