Accountable Care News 

Operationalizing Accountable Care

People, Processes, and Technology for Bridging the Care Gap

By Daniel J. Marino, President & CEO, Health Directions

Healthcare technology leaders often talk about turning data into information. The idea is to use data management tools and quality outcomes to create a source of insight into a healthcare organization’s past performance and its current direction. For accountable care organizations, turning data into information is an important first step – but it is not enough.

ACOs need to turn information into action. The goal is to use information to improve outcomes for individual patients, improve population health, and deliver care in the most cost-effective way. In terms of the recently finalized Medicare Shared Savings Program rules, ACOs need to bridge the gap between existing patient care outcomes and quality as defined by the 33 measures.

The key to bridging this “care gap” is to create an infrastructure of people, processes, and technology that can translate information into targeted care interventions. How do you build this infrastructure? A close look at groundbreaking ACOs shows that leading organizations are focusing on three areas – enhanced information systems, focused clinical programs, and proactive outcomes management.