Public health departments and accountable care organizations: finding common ground in population health

Am J Public Health. 2015 May;105(5):840-6. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2014.302483. Epub 2015 Mar 19.

Abstract

We examined areas of potential collaboration between accountable care organizations and public health agencies, as well as perceived barriers and facilitators. We interviewed 9 key informants on 4 topics: advantages of public health agency involvement in accountable care organizations; services public health agencies could provide; practical, cultural, and legal barriers to accountable care organization-public health agency involvement; and business models that facilitate accountable care organization-public health agency collaboration. Public health agencies could help accountable care organizations partner with community organizations and reach vulnerable patients, provide population-based services and surveillance data, and promote policies that improve member health. Barriers include accountable care organizations' need for short-term financial yield, limited public health agency technical and financial capacity, and the absence of a financial model.

MeSH terms

  • Accountable Care Organizations / economics
  • Accountable Care Organizations / organization & administration*
  • Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S.
  • Cooperative Behavior*
  • Humans
  • Interinstitutional Relations*
  • Public Health Administration*
  • Quality Assurance, Health Care
  • United States