Health Care Reform
Effective health care reform will rely on the development of "accountable care systems" to adopt and take responsibility for process changes intended to boost quality and reduce costs, Stephen Shortell of the UC-Berkeley School of Public Health and Lawrence Casalino of the University of Chicago write in a commentary in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Shortell and Casalino suggest that ACSs focus on five areas:
- Multispecialty group practice;
- Hospital medical staff organization;
- Physician-hospital organization;
- Interdependent physician organization; and
- Health plan provider organization or network.
These models would provide physicians and hospitals a foundation on which to meet the need for affordable, comprehensive health care in the face of rising demand and technological advances, according to Shortell and Casalino.
In addition, Shortell and Casalino write that the chances for ACSs to succeed in advancing health care reform will depend upon the development of incentives for health care providers to improve quality while reducing costs (Shortell/Casalino, Journal of the American Medical Association, 7/2). This is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.