MEDTalk: Pediatric Asthma and Transforming Care for the Most Vulnerable

Many clinicians have terrific ideas for improving the quality and cost of health care, but often don’t know how to navigate the frequently baffling landscape of payment and delivery reform options. To address this need in clear, practical terms, we are pleased to announce the third MEDTalk event in the “Merkin Series on Innovations in Care Delivery.” The series is designed to support clinicians and policymakers who’ve always wondered how delivery reform occurs, but didn’t know where to begin.

Our third case drew on the experiences of the Community Asthma Initiative, an enhanced pediatric asthma intervention, and their efforts in sustainability. The event featured seven brief “TED-style” talks that consider the challenges of delivering pediatric care, while tackling non-medical factors that drive suboptimal care, improving patient and family quality of life, and reducing costs. The agenda included firsthand experiences from patients, payers, policymakers, and clinical leadership from Massachusetts and Arkansas. Sustainable improvement strategies and the financial mechanisms available to encourage innovations in asthma were explored.