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Robert Bree Collaborative
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The Robert Bree Collaborative is a consortium of public and private health care purchasers, health carriers and providers working together to identify concerns with quality and variation in health care and recommend evidence-based strategies for improvement. Our partnership is named in honor of the late Dr. Robert Bree, a key member of a previous public/private group that focused on improving advanced imaging for our state.

The Governor, the Legislature, and the people of Washington State expect a health care system that is both high quality and affordable. The Governor has set a goal of reducing medical inflation to no more than four percent per year and she supports evidence-based initiatives in accomplishing that goal. The Robert Bree Collaborative is charged with selecting up to three health care service areas per year in which there is substantial variation or high utilization trends that do not produce better care outcomes.

Background

There is broad recognition that efforts are needed across the health system to improve quality, outcomes for patients and cost-effectiveness. Some health care services currently provided in Washington State present significant safety, efficacy or cost-effectiveness concerns. Substantial variation in practice patterns or high utilization trends can be indicators of poor quality and potential waste in the health care system.

Legislative Authority

The Robert Bree Collaborative is a mechanism through which public and private health care purchasers, health carriers and providers can work together to identify up to three topics annually with variation or quality concerns and recommend effective, evidence based strategies to improve quality health outcomes and cost-effectiveness of the selected services. Full text of bill.

Selected Topics

The Bree Collaborative, at its September 2011 meeting, heard presentations on a variety of health procedures that are identified as having high variation in practice patterns and show the most promise for improvement in health outcomes through appropriate interventions. Members of the Bree Collaborative voted to select obstetric care (OB) as the first topic to research and make recommendations for improvement (followed by readmissions, low-back pain, and cardiology).

Final Products