Obtaining greater value from health care: the roles of the U.S. government.

The problems of quality and cost in the U.S. health care system are unlikely to be solved without strong leadership from the federal government, which can mobilize action to set national priorities for quality; develop and promulgate standards for care; and stimulate implementation of performance measures and standards for providers. All of these functions would best be carried out by a new federal agency. Furthermore, the federal government should design payment policies based on the performance standards, invest in needed information technology, and invest in research related to improving care and in training professionals to support nationwide quality improvement.