Articles by Robert Saunders, PhD

Findings published in this issue add to the growing literature showing that multiple types of accountable care organizations (ACOs) can be successful, whether they are confederations of smaller, independent primary care practices or larger, integrated systems.

Prospective or Retrospective ACO Attribution Matters for Seriously Ill Patients
ByBrystana G. Kaufman, PhD, MSPH,William K. Bleser, PhD, MSPH,Robert Saunders, PhD,David Anderson, MSPPM,Courtney H. Van Houtven, PhD,David B. Muhlestein, PhD, JD,Jeffrey Clough, MD,Mark B. McClellan, MD, PhD This study compared beneficiary characteristics and Medicare per capita expenditures among seriously ill Medicare accountable care organization (ACO) populations defined using prospective and retrospective claims-based attribution methods.

Significant populations of seriously ill individuals are insured by all lines of business and have meaningfully different needs and medical histories in California.

A Comparison of Relative Resource Use and Quality in Medicare Advantage Health Plans Versus Traditional Medicare
ByBruce E. Landon, MD, MBA, MSc,Alan M. Zaslavsky, PhD,Robert Saunders, PhD,L. Gregory Pawlson, MD, MPH,Joseph P. Newhouse, PhD,John Z. Ayanian, MD, MPP Compared with traditional Medicare, relative resource use for those with diabetes or cardiovascular disease is lower in Medicare Advantage, while quality of care is higher.

There's More Than One Way to Build a Medical Home
ByManasi A. Tirodkar, PhD, MS,,Suzanne Morton, MPH, MBA,Thomas Whiting, MPA,Patrick Monahan, MD,Elexis McBee, DO,Robert Saunders, PhD,Sarah Hudson Scholle, DrPH, MPH Even among practices reaching the highest level of PCMH achievement, there are variations in the implementation of key medical home capabilities.