title: Higher health care quality and bigger savings found at large multispecialty medical groups.
abstract: The belief that integrated delivery systems offer better care at lower cost has contributed to growing interest in accountable care organizations. These provider-led delivery systems would accept responsibility for their primary care populations and would have financial incentives for improving care and reducing costs. We investigated this belief by comparing the costs and quality of care provided to Medicare beneficiaries in twenty-two health care markets by physicians who did and did not work within large multispecialty group practices affiliated with the Council of Accountable Physician Practices. In most markets, and after adjustment for patient factors, group physicians affiliated with the council provided higher-quality care at a 3.6 percent lower annual cost ($272 per patient).
authors.affiliation: Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, Lebanon, NH, USA. William.B.Weeks@dartmouth.edu
authors.forename: William B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Weeks
authors.forename: Daniel J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Gottlieb
authors.forename: David E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Nyweide
authors.forename: Jason M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Sutherland
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bynum
authors.forename: Lawrence P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Casalino
authors.forename: Robin R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Gillies
authors.forename: Stephen M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Shortell
authors.forename: Elliott S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Fisher
mesh_terms: D017046:Cost Savings; D019033:Delivery of Health Care, Integrated / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006123:Group Practice / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D007349:Insurance, Health, Reimbursement; D006278:Medicare / Q000191:economics; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D013038:Specialization; D014481:United States