Accountable Care Systems for Comprehensive Healthcare Reform
By Stephen M. Shortell
Summary: This paper shows that if comprehensive health care reform is to succeed, the U.S. will need accountable care systems (ACSs). By accountable care system, the authors mean an entity that is able and willing to do two things: first, implement organized processes for improving the quality and controlling the costs of medical care; second, be held accountable for results. In order to successfully reform the U.S. health care system, ACSs will need performance information, infrastructure and incentives. The authors recommend the creation of national organizations dedicated to performance measurement, best practices and incentives through pay for performance.
Key Concepts: Health Care Delivery Systems: health care administrative structure, comparative effectiveness in health care delivery systems.
Read Accountable Care Systems for Comprehensive Healthcare Reform (pdf).