AJMC® in the Press, June 23, 2017

A study published in the June 2017 issue of The American Journal of Accountable Care^® (AJAC^®) was summarized in an article on RevCycleIntelligence.com. In “Evolving Health Workforce Roles in Accountable Care Organizations,” researchers gleaned insights from interviews with leaders of these organizations on how they are adapting workforce roles to meet value-based requirements. According to the summary article, the study authors “concluded that providers have yet to find the magic model to realize” these goals.

PatientEngagementHIT.com published an article debunking 3 common myths about patient engagement, including the fallacy that patient engagement is only relevant for those with chronic diseases. Its rebuttal referenced a study from the March issue of The American Journal of Managed Care^®, which explored how legislation has boosted engagement even for healthy patients. Findings from “Improvements in Access and Care Through the Affordable Care Act” showed an increase in the percentage of Americans reporting they have a personal healthcare provider.

A case study from the June issue of AJAC^® was discussed in a RevCycleIntelligence.com article. “Case Study: How Does an ACO Generate Savings Three Years in a Row?” outlined the successes witnessed in the Hackensack Alliance Accountable Care Organization (ACO) since it joined the Medicare Shared Savings Program in 2012. The RevCycleIntelligence.com article noted that the New Jersey-based ACO “realized healthcare savings by improving skilled nursing facility and end-stage renal disease care.”

The investigative news organization VT Digger reported on a local physician’s accusations that the University of Vermont Medical Center is abusing Medicare’s 340B drug discount program. It cited an article published in Evidence-Based Oncology™ in 2015, which explained the program’s goals and loopholes. The 340B program “was intended to provide assistance to medical providers who serve poor, underinsured patients,” wrote the authors of “Three Proposals to Reform the 340B Drug Discount Program,” but it does not require that discounted drugs are dispensed solely to these needy populations.