Top 5 Most-Read AJAC Articles of 2023

In 2023, the most-read articles published in The American Journal of Accountable Care® (AJAC) highlighted innovative care models, lessons learned from health system partnerships, and much more.

Here are the 5 most-read AJAC journal articles in 2023.

The American Journal of Accountable Care

5. Financial Factors That Influenced Telemedicine Delivery During the COVID-19 Pandemic

This original research article published in the June issue presents the perspectives of patients and primary care providers on the financial considerations that influence the use of telemedicine. Whereas patients were largely concerned about out-of-pocket costs, providers were more concerned with reimbursement. The authors identify several themes that will need to be addressed via policy changes in order to ensure the financial sustainability of telemedicine, as well as illustrative quotes from respondents. They also note that telemedicine holds the potential to improve access to care for underserved populations.

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4. Reimagining “Covered Lives” as Communities: Communitarian Ethics for ACOs

In this review article published in the June issue, the author argues that patients in accountable care organizations (ACOs) should be considered as patient communities active in a moral dialogue about population health priorities rather than simply “covered lives.” This approach based on the principles of communitarian ethics would balance the tension between individual autonomy and the common good and thus advance the bioethical scholarship on population health. A key first step is to clearly communicate to patients that they are enrolled in an ACO and make them aware of the ACO’s patient composition.

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3. Mobile Health Clinic: Lessons Learned Building Partnerships Across Health Systems

Published in the March issue, this case description reports the authors’ takeaways from an initiative to start up a mobile health clinic that delivers preventive services to underresourced rural communities. A community hospital and a university partner teamed up to bring this effort to life, which required clear communication, aligned vision and mission, intentional negotiation, and trust. The authors hope this example will shed light on how best to implement this innovative mode of care delivery, which holds the potential to expand access to preventive services and enable better management of chronic diseases.

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2. A Clinical Pathway to Well-Being: Putting Patient Priorities at the Center of Care

In this Insights article published in the September issue, authors describe the Patient Priorities Care framework, which uses patients’ self-defined goals to motivate health improvement. Rather than focusing on a clinical metric like blood pressure, community health workers build a relationship with patients to identify a core goal that then drives all their care decisions. The authors include a patient story that illustrates the power of this approach to care. Applying this framework more broadly may require expansion of value-based care models and care teams that can meet patients’ nonclinical needs, the authors note.

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1. Championing Value-Based Primary Care: How Practices Can Support and Optimize Health Outcomes

Coverage from a meeting of the Institute for Value-Based Medicine® published in the June issue relays the learnings from an event held in partnership with Optum to discuss building the primary care of the future. Cochair Ken Cohen, MD, executive director of translational research for OptumCare, emphasized how the Optimal Care Model targets overuse of low-value care and aims to replace it with value-based, coordinated, evidence-supported care. Cochair Lee A. Norman, MD, MHS, MBA, senior medical director of Optum Kansas City, discussed the financial implications for primary care practices transitioning to value-based care.

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