ACO In Healthcare

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There are many problems that could be sited within the healthcare system. As it is important to do within any problem, the first step is to narrow focus to make the most direct impact on the problem at hand. In reference to healthcare, there have been several attempts to make the system work more efficiently in an effort to better assist patients. The most recent venture being the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) have become a vital part of healthcare since this implementation was initiated. An ACO is defined as a group of healthcare providers including nurses, doctors, and pharmacists with a goal of providing quality care to patient in a cost effective manner. The money saved is shared …show more content…
The definition of population health has been interpreted by a variety of professionals. In terms of public health, population health refers to the wellbeing of people within a geographic area. However, the idea of population health may also be construed in terms of the delivery system itself, including providers, insurance agencies and all other professionals who partake in the healthcare exchange. Though the definition may not be clear-cut, it is well understood that as the healthcare system in the United States moves towards value based care, the role of an ACO will depend on the improvement in health of both the population treated within the ACO and of those in the …show more content…
In a study published in 2015, only a small percentage of ACOs even included a pharmacy within their structure.4 This study also found ACOs that form relationships with pharmacies have a broad range of services and types of providers, commercial and public contracts, and have more experience with and exposure to payment reform.4 As far as population health goes, pharmacists can be integrated into ACOs to work with patients in specific populations to focus on medication use, prescribing options, therapy management, monitoring, and follow-up to help achieve desired outcomes.5 These services will help prevent medication related problems, hospitalizations, and adverse drug reactions to make overall populations healthier. There have been other studies conducted already that show how pharmacists can influence populations with chronic conditions. One such study of more than 4,800 patients showed that those who received medication management services from pharmacists had a 55% improvement in chronic conditions in a 10 year time frame with cost savings of $86 per encounter.5 Another study showed that 50% of recommendations from community pharmacists to patients taking multiple medications for chronic diseases were effective in causing a physician to stop or change a medication, therefore preventing medication-related errors and keeping the population healthy.5 These examples emphasize why it is
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