# Why Nobody Believes the Number - Hardcover

by **Al Lewis** (Author)

_Why Nobody Believes the Numbers_ introduces a unique viewpoint to population health outcomes measurement: Results/ROIs should be presented as they are, not as we wish they would be. This viewpoint contrasts sharply with vendor/promoter/consultant claims along two very important dimensions:

(1) _Why Nobody Believes_ presents outcomes/ROIs achievable _right here on this very planet..._

(2) ...calculated using actual data rather than controlled substances.

Indeed, nowhere in healthcare is it possible to find such sharply contrasting worldviews, methodologies, and grips on reality.

_Why Nobody Believes the Numbers i_ncludes 12 case studies of vendors, carriers, and consultants who were apparently playing hooky the day their teacher covered fifth-grade math, as told by an author whose argument style can be so persuasive that he was once able to convince a resort to sell him a timeshare. The book's lesson: no need to believe what your vendor tells you -- instead you can estimate your own savings using "ingredients you already have in your kitchen." Don't be intimidated just because you lack a PhD in biostatistics, or even a Masters, Bachelor's, high-school equivalency diploma or up-to-date inspection sticker.

_Why Nobody Believes the Numbers_ explains how to determine if the ROIs are real...and why they usually aren't. You'll learn how to:

-   Figure out whether you are "moving the needle" or just crediting a program with changes that would have happened anyway
-   Judge whether the ROIs your vendors report are plausible or even arithmetically possible
-   Synthesize all these insights into RFPs and contracts that truly hold vendors accountable for results

### Front Jacket

This is a must-read for anyone involved in developing policy or making purchase decisions on programs that try to improve health and save money.

**\--Bob Galvin,** Chief Executive Officer, Equity Healthcare (Blackstone Group); co-founder, Leapfrog Group; founder, Bridges to Excellence

Lewis sugarcoats the bitter medicine of math with a generous amount of humor, making this the most painless lesson in outcomes analysis ever published. The lesson: trust your own judgment.

**\--Tom Scully,** former Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; Senior Counsel, Alston & Bird; Partner, Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe

Lewis has single-handedly created what industry committees have failed to create: a how-to guide for valid outcomes analysis.

**\--Warren Todd,** former President and Executive Director, the Care Continuum Alliance

**Make better health care decisions by understanding your own data**

Behind every health plan and benefits department decision are the numbers that illuminate and drive the cost of coverage. An easy-to-follow guide to population health management, _Why Nobody Believes the Numbers_ helps you interpret these numbers, explains why and how experts often make them up, and shows that you don't need to rely on expensive--and as the hilarious examples show, often numerically challenged--consultants and vendors to do evaluations. _Why Nobody Believes the Numbers_ gives you the tools to:

-   **Figure out whether you are moving the needle or just crediting a program with changes that would have happened anyway**
-   **Determine whether the ROIs your vendors report are plausible or even arithmetically possible (the majority aren't)**
-   **Synthesize all these insights into RFPs and contracts that let vendors know that you weren't born yesterday**

### Back Jacket

"This is a must-read for anyone involved in developing policy or making purchase decisions on programs that try to improve health and save money."

**\--Bob Galvin,** Chief Executive Officer, Equity Healthcare (Blackstone Group); co-founder, Leapfrog Group; founder, Bridges to Excellence

"Lewis sugarcoats the bitter medicine of math with a generous amount of humor, making this the most painless lesson in outcomes analysis ever published. The lesson: trust your own judgment."

**\--Tom Scully,** former Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; Senior Counsel, Alston & Bird; Partner, Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe

"Lewis has single-handedly created what industry committees have failed to create: a how-to guide for valid outcomes analysis."

**\--Warren Todd,** former President and Executive Director, the Care Continuum Alliance

**Make better health care decisions by understanding your own data**

Behind every health plan and benefits department decision are the numbers that illuminate and drive the cost of coverage. An easy-to-follow guide to population health management, _Why Nobody Believes the Numbers_ helps you interpret these numbers, explains why and how "experts" often make them up, and shows that you don't need to rely on expensive--and as the hilarious examples show, often numerically challenged--consultants and vendors to do evaluations. _Why Nobody Believes the Numbers_ gives you the tools to:

-   **Figure out whether you are "moving the needle" or just crediting a program with changes that would have happened anyway**
-   **Determine whether the ROIs your vendors report are plausible or even arithmetically possible (the majority aren't)**
-   **Synthesize all these insights into RFPs and contracts that let vendors know that you weren't born yesterday**

### Author Biography

**AL LEWIS**, President of the Disease Management Purchasing Consortium, is widely credited with inventing disease management and was named "the national leader in analyzing care management outcomes" in the _9th Annual Report on the Disease Management and Wellness Industries_. He provides procurement and outcomes consulting to health plans and human resources/benefits departments, and administers the industry certification program in Critical Outcomes Report Analysis. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from Harvard.

**Number of Pages:** 240

**Dimensions:** 0.82 x 9.36 x 6.14 IN

**Publication Date:** June 26, 2012

## Details

- **Price:** 60.0 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 60.00 USD | In stock |

## Images

- Why Nobody Believes the Number - Hardcover

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