In Focus: Building Accountable Care Organizations That Improve Quality and Lower Costs—A View from the Field

Summary: In less than 18 months, Medicare will launch a shared savings program to reward primary care physicians, specialists, and hospitals that form accountable care organizations and collaborate in the redesign of care processes, improve care coordination, and promote high-quality, cost-efficient care. To receive payment, providers must demonstrate the impact their efforts have on specific quality-of-care and cost-reduction goals. Doing so is no small task. Quality Matters asked organizations that have been working toward these goals what advice they have for others.

http://www.commonwealthfund.org/Content/Newsletters/Quality-Matters/2010/June-July-2010/In-Focus.aspx