September 2014

In this article, the author explores how accountable care organizations and other provider organizations can apply population health methods to physician populations to predict which physicians may unknowingly be promoting patient medication nonadherence based upon their patient communication and engagement skills. Training interventions for improving physician communications with patients are also discussed.

Five years after the implementation of the first provisions of the Affordable Care Act and 5 months after the close of the first open enrollment period for the Health Insurance Marketplaces, we are starting to be able to measure the impact of the law.

To optimize the impact of delivery system and payment reforms, healthcare system leaders may need to align organizational incentives with those facing frontline providers while also considering a wide range of factors that influence providers' choices.

Treating physicians as your most valued customers: embracing the role of chief happiness officer to drive physician engagement and change management.

A growing number of employers are becoming interested in accountable care organizations (ACOs) to improve quality and affordability. This article describes the requirements employers should have for ACOs.

The ACO and Emerging Healthcare Delivery Coalition, a project of The American Journal of Managed Care, hosts meetings via WebEx, an online tool that combines elements of the conference call and PowerPoint. The sessions offer opportunities to hear case studies and ask "on the ground" questions, as new reimbursement models take shape.

IBM Smarter Care uncovers valuable insights into lifestyle choices, social determinants, and clinical factors enabling holistic and individualized care to optimize outcomes and lower costs.

The United States is in the throes of multiple experiments aimed to shift care delivery from a volume-based to a value-based system. This issue of AJAC examines a number of cutting-edge strategies.

Becoming a medical home appears to increase physician and staff job satisfaction, but it also risks decreasing patient satisfaction with access to care.

The authors propose a framework considering patient complexity and certainty of diagnosis to triage encounters to the most appropriate provider in an accountable care organization.

Since 2011, Horizon Healthcare Services, Inc has collaborated with physicians and hospitals throughout New Jersey to transform healthcare delivery. This article details the early successes and key ingredients of Horizon's patient-centered programs.