Accountable Care Organization, Healthcare Big Data, Healthcare Portal, and ACO Implementation Resources
FEATURED ARTICLES: ACO
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![Mostashari]( "Mostashari's Health IT Vision")
Mostashari's Health IT Vision In this Q&A, Health IT Outcomes gets the newly appointed National Coordinator of Health IT’s take on EHR effectiveness, troubling EHR research, and ensuring patient privacy in an electronic world.
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How Telehealth Is Driving Engagement And Shaping The ACO Model Of The Future10/23/2015
The U.S. healthcare industry is rapidly transitioning beyond the traditional focus of treating individual patients’ physical conditions. Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) and similar arrangements are leading the way, structured specifically to reward progress toward achieving the Triple Aim of improving the patient experience, improving the health of populations and reducing the cost of care. Fully addressing these dynamics By Derek Richards, PhD, director of clinical research and innovation, SilverCloud Health
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Health IT Vital To Quality Care10/20/2011For years, the federal government has championed the idea that effective use of health IT systems can go a long way to improving the quality of healthcare in the U.S. Now, a new report by Healthgrades, an independent source for physician information and quality hospital outcomes, seems to confirm the federal government’s position.
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4 Healthcare Trends Emerge3/27/2014
Vree Health’s top four healthcare trends to watch in 2014. By Christine Kern, contributing writer
- California ACO Withdraws From Medicare's Pioneer Program
- ACOs Need Better EMRs
- Privacy, Security, HIPAA Compliance And A $5 Billion Crime Scheme
- From Milk Crates To Mobile IT: Hospice Improves Access To Patient Records On The Go
- Innovation Is Key In 2012 Health IT Planning
- Provider, Insurer Create New Business Model
CASE STUDIES & WHITE PAPERS
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IT Infrastructure: A Foundation For Accountable Care Organizations8/11/2011The advent of healthcare reform will require a health information technology infrastructure that integrates all the “moving parts” of an ACO, including hospitals, physicians, labs, outpatient centers, claims and analytics.
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Achieving Success With The 5010 / ICD-10 Change-Over2/8/2012SuccessEHS is a nationally acclaimed vendor providing Electronic Health Record (EHR) and Practice Management solutions with Integrated Medical Billing Services.
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White Paper: Transforming IT For Accountable Healthcare5/5/2011This February 2011 white paper looks at the impact of ARRA and PPACA on provider organizations and the role IT can play in preparing healthcare providers for future success in the evolving landscape. An IDC Health Insights White Paper sponsored by HP
FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK
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![Ken Congdon, Editor In Chief of Health IT Outcomes]( "Is Technology To Blame For Physician Burnout?")
Is Technology To Blame For Physician Burnout?According to a recent Medscape survey, 46% of physicians say they are burned out. How much is the drive towards health IT adoption contributing to this epidemic?
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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Population Health Cuts Anthem ACO Costs By Nearly $8 Million6/30/2015
Anthem’s program provides doctors with additional payments if they lower the cost of patients’ care. By Christine Kern, contributing writer
ACO NEWS ARTICLES
- 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
- Box Powers The Healthcare Information Revolution With Partner Ecosystem