A core principle of value-based healthcare is to reduce unnecessary or ineffective procedures: allowing patients to more quickly and cost-effectively find definitive relief for their conditions. One condition that is a great candidate for a more value-based approach in gastroenterology is hemorrhoids. This disease currently costs the healthcare industry over $2B/year, and the majority of this cost can be attributed to patients who are diagnosed but never treated.
In this article, Dr. Guttenplan discusses the value-based care practices that gastroenterologists can implement to address this issue, including: