Roundtable discussion on metabolic support of the cancer patient. Regional centers of excellence.
Home TPN has undergone a dramatic evolution over a relatively short period. It is unfortunate that the current system is barely realizing the potential to enhance patient care while keeping costs reasonable. Although industry has made the mistake of not demonstrating how important quality is for outcome, third-party reimbursement policy is making a more critical mistake of encouraging the implementation of poor-quality care through reimbursement levels so low that factors that ensure high quality must be cut if the provider is to survive. We must recognize that the provision of product is only part of the large system needed to deliver this expensive therapy. The institution of centers of excellence will allow consumers to make intelligent choices in the future application of health care dollars.
Moore
R S
RS
Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis.
D006801:Humans; D007349:Insurance, Health, Reimbursement; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D016562:Parenteral Nutrition, Home Total / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards* / Q000639:trends