A new back pain game created by a University of Michigan doctor aims to teach doctors and patients how to improve management of back pain by demonstrating what not to do. BackQuack™, a humorous but real attempt to educate, is the subject of serious research into consumerism and physician management of back pain. This online video game was developed by spine experts to help consumers and clinicians determine the best course of treatment for acute back pain. The game is meant to be both fun and educational. To play BackQuack visit www.backquack.net.

BackQuack is being piloted over a six-month period in three Michigan communities—Jackson, Muskegon and Flint—as part of a cooperative effort by area hospitals, Jackson Physician Association, Hackley Physician Organization and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM) to reduce overutilization of scans and surgeries.Continue Reading Wacky BackQuack™ game is helping consumers and physicians determine the best course of treatment for acute back pain

For many who struggle with health care costs or lack of insurance, free clinics and other health care “safety net” organizations provide services that are truly life-saving. In partnership with the Center for Healthcare Research & Transformation, a team of University of Michigan (U-M) researchers is looking for ways to help Michigan’s safety net providers meet the challenges of caring for increasing numbers of uninsured, low income, and vulnerable people in Michigan.

“Many safety net providers are actively seeking strategies that will help them meet growing demand,” said Peter Jacobson, professor of health law and policy at the U-M School of Public Health and the study’s principal investigator. “Our goal with this study is to bridge the gap between academic research and the realities faced by clinic directors, and to recommend concrete strategies they can use to enhance efficiencies, make the best use of scarce resources, and extend services to those in need.”Continue Reading Help for Michigan’s Health Care Safety Net

The preliminary results of a new study of patient centered medical homes (PCMH) demonstrate the challenges researchers face when attempting to measure physicians’ progress toward adoption of this primary care practice model.

University of Michigan researcher Christopher G. Wise, Ph.D., led the team that analyzed responses to a survey about the degree of implementation of PCMH, which showed significant variation in interpretation and implementation of the elements of the PCMH model among physicians, their staffs, and physician organizations.Continue Reading Measuring Transformation: Patient Centered Medical Homes in Michigan