To Enlist Physicians in Reducing Costs, Show Them the Costs

In a recent speech, Alex Azar, the U.S. secretary of health and human services, said, “There is no more powerful force than an informed consumer.” What about an informed provider? If health systems are truly going to improve the value of the care they deliver, they need to enlist doctors in the effort. According to a national survey conducted by University of Utah Health, 89% of physicians believe the overall cost of health care in this country is too high. Now we need to give doctors a chance at engaging in the conversation by developing tools to make cost transparent to them.