4.19.2023 Board Book

ees access to multiple programs for obesity treatment and support, including multiple platforms of virtual obesity care.

Well designed and controlled experiments may prove particularly important in catalyz ing needed development and validation of obesity treatment quality and performance metrics by measure development organizations (such as the NCQA, the Pharmacy Quality Alliance, and the National Quality Forum), and parallel development of needed capabilities among providers to routinely document, monitor and report the results of patient treatment (such as adaptation of electronic health records by EHR vendors and users). Experimentation should encompass multiple approaches to finding practical ways to address major objectives of obesity treatment and support, from payment models that reward a few essential steps in obesity care (such as routine diagnosis of obesity), to more complex objectives, such as payment incentives for achieving and maintaining individualized patient goals on a population scale. Experimentation needs to begin now, to expedite a transition away from the current status quo in which a relatively low volume of treatment is delivered compared to the level of unmet need, and delivered at relatively high unit costs, and towards a future in which a greater volume of treatment and support can be delivered at lower unit costs, and open up access to treatment on a scale that is commensurate with the great unmet need for obesity treatment and support.

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Envisioning Value-based Provider Payment for Obesity Treatment and Support