Pay-for-performance, patient-centered medical homes, cost containment and the relationship between health insurance status and critical care outcomes are among the topics that will be discussed during the timely scientific symposium D82 “Implications of U.S. Healthcare Reform for Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine,” sponsored by the ATS Health Policy Committee.

The symposium, which will take place from 2 to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday in the Four Seasons Ballroom 1-2 on the lower level of the Colorado Convention Center, will provide important information for clinicians and researchers.

Ivor Douglas, MD

According to Ivor Douglas, MD, co-chair of the session and chief of pulmonary sciences and critical care medicine at Denver Health, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) is transforming the financing and affordability of, as well as access to, healthcare for many Americans. However, the consequences of the legislation have not been fully analyzed by many pulmonary, critical care and sleep providers.

“The transformation of the U.S. healthcare system under the ACA is a monumental undertaking,” Dr. Douglas said, “and in its initial implementation, it is having measureable impact on professionals in pulmonary, critical care and sleep—whether they are clinically, administratively or research focused—as well as their patients and communities.”

Cynthia Gries, MD, MSc

“Given the complexity of the ACA law, the implications of the ACA on healthcare are difficult to understand,” said Cynthia Gries, MD, MSc, co-chair of the session and the director of outcomes research in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.  “Given our current economic crisis, it is important that we understand the ACA law so that the ATS community can make the best choice for themselves and for the patients for whom we care.”

Among the objectives of the session are explaining how the act will require the reporting of evidence-based diagnostic and treatment approaches, the integration of specialist care with patient-centered medical homes and the impact of reform on scarce resource allocation and reimbursement, with a focus on critical care and end-of-life care and international perspectives on health care reform efforts.

The changes likely to occur as a result of the legislation will be compared to international models for healthcare delivery. “This symposium,” Dr. Douglas said, “is an essential opportunity for attendees, both domestic and international, to learn and reflect on the future impact of the ACA on the field and understand its economic, societal and medical impact on the future delivery of healthcare in the U.S.”