March 2017

Given that accountable care organizations (ACOs) will be rated on patient experience and wait times for specialist consults are associated with patient satisfaction, ACOs should monitor this process.

Given the current focus on efforts to contain costs, improve the delivery of care, and meet consumer demand, telemedicine is an attractive tool to use for success in these areas.

Rural patients receive less postacute care after hospital discharge than urban patients, especially after elective joint replacement-a condition selected for bundled payments.

This article explores elements of patient and consumer engagement implicated by Medicare’s alternative payment models, emphasizing the potential for shopping and use of cost information.

The authors draw on the experience of past and present payment reforms to suggest principles for successfully designing alternative payment models.

Quality improvement methodology was implemented to ensure that patients receiving medications for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) returned for an appointment within 30 days of initiating medication.

In this study, the authors demonstrate widespread adoption and satisfaction with the novel APSO (Assessment, Plan, Subjective, Objective) format for progress notes at a large, integrated health delivery network.