ACOs making progress in improving care transition, survey finds
ACOs making progress in improving care transition, survey finds
A snapshot of hospitals involved in accountable care organizations finds that they are making progress in improving the coordination of care.
Out of 1,700 hospitals in a Commonwealth Fund survey, 13% said they were participating — or planning to participate — in an ACO.
Seventy percent of the hospitals participating in ACOs have processes in place to identify patients moving between care settings such as nursing homes and rehabilitation facilities, according to the report. Seventy-three percent of participating hospitals say they share clinical data across healthcare settings, which should help long-term care providers.
Additionally, up to 90% of the ACO-affiliated organizations employ medication reconciliation interventions when transitioning Medicare beneficiaries from one setting to another, the survey found. Medication reconciliation errors accounted for 800,000 injuries in long-term care facilities, according to one report in 2011.
Long-term care providers are expected to benefit from ACOs due to their emphasis on managing care for people discharged from acute care facilities.
Click here to read the full Commonwealth Fund report.
