Accountable Care Organization, Healthcare Big Data, Healthcare Portal, and ACO Implementation Resources
FEATURED ARTICLES: ACO
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FDA To Begin Tracking Medical Devices Inside Patients
The Food and Drug Administration recently released its new regulations for unique tracking on medical devices like pacemakers and other artificial implants By Katie Wike, contributing writer
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Does ICD-10 Make Sense?10/16/2013
Providers have opposed ICD-10 since the beginning and that opinion hasn’t changed over time. By Katie Wike, contributing writer
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Past Provides Clues For Successful ICD-10 Switch7/9/2013
Experts advise a look at lessons learned from the recent HIPAA 4010-to-5010 transition can help ease the upcoming transition to ICD-10 By Lisa Kerner, contributing writer
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Registries Aid Providers In PQRS Participation7/22/2013
The IRIS Registry is just one of many Registries offering users an expanse of information while helping prevent Medicare penalties By Katie Wike, contributing writer
CASE STUDIES & WHITE PAPERS
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From Customization To Collaboration: Matching Mobile Devices To Clinicians' Workflow8/29/2012
This white paper from Intel discusses mobility in the healthcare industry and selecting the right mobile solution.
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Balancing The Scales: Selecting The Right EHR For The Life Of Your Practice And Your Patients3/25/2013
If we are at or approaching a technological tipping point in the history of healthcare, then it has never been more important for physician practices to select the right electronic health record (EHR) – and there are tangible reasons to believe so.
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Get The Most Out Of Going Mobile: Best Practices In mHealth Implementation3/26/2013
Our population is becoming more mobile on a daily basis, and healthcare professionals are no exception. In fact, the very nature of the healthcare industry makes it ripe for a move to mobile. It also presents special implementation challenges.
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One Practice's Journey To Accountable Care4/5/2012This white paper chronicles how New Pueblo Medicine, an independent practice of seven internal medicine physicians based in Arizona, is delivering team-oriented, prevention-focused care with tighter coordination across the continuum of care, while responding to regulatory and compensation pressures and remaining a small independent practice.
FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK
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The Problem With Consumerism In Healthcare
Many industry leaders championed a free market approach to healthcare during the 12th Annual World Health Care Congress last week. Here are a few key reasons why I don’t think this model is “the fix” our industry so desperately needs.
ABOUT ACCOUNTABLE CARE ORGANIZATIONS (ACO)
An Accountable Care Organization (ACO) utilizes a payment and care delivery system that bases payments to providers on quality metrics and seeks to reduce the total cost of care for a certain population of patients. ACOs use a range of payment models and consist of groups of coordinated healthcare providers that provide care to groups of patients. ACOs are accountable to a third-party payer and the group of patients for the appropriateness, quality, and efficiency of the health services they provide.
In 2011, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) set forth initial guidelines for ACOs to be created under the Medicare Shared Savings Program. These guidelines contained all necessary steps required for a physician, health care provider, or hospital to voluntarily participate in ACOs.
The quality measures used to evaluate an ACO's performance as defined by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) fall into five domains. These domains are patient/caregiver experience, care coordination, patient safety, preventative health, and at-risk population/frail elderly health.
The three stakeholders in an ACO are the providers, payers, and patients. Providers are a network of hospitals, physicians, and other healthcare professionals. The primary payer is the federal government, Medicare, but also includes other payers such as private insurances or employee-purchased insurance. The patient population of an ACO will primarily consist of Medicare beneficiaries, but in larger ACOs can also include those who are homeless and uninsured.
FEATURED NEWS
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ACOs Face Interoperability Barriers2/8/2016
According to a new report, a lack of out-of-network interoperability is the biggest obstacle facing ACOs today. By Katie Wike, contributing writer
ACO NEWS ARTICLES
- Upcoming Webinar: Data-Driven Care: The Key To Accountable Care Delivery From A Physician Group Perspective
- WEDI Releases Guide On HIPAA Transactions Requiring ICD-10 Codes
- Automated Quality Reporting Through EHRs Can Result In Significant Efficiencies And Care Improvements
- CMS Releases Updated Data On EHR Adoption
- West Florida ACO Chooses Sandlot Solutions As Partner In Patient Health Information Management