Almost Half of Physicians Don't Know What an ACO Is

Tags: accountable care organization | ACO

At a time when hospitals seek alignment with physicians to build accountable care organizations, 45 percent of physicians in a recent survey indicated they did not know what an ACO is, according to a report by HCPlexus.

Also in the Thomson Reuters National Physicians Survey, which HCPlexis conducted, 65 percent predicted the quality of healthcare would deteriorate in the next few years, as ACOs and other provisions of the healthcare reform law got into effect.

Most of the physicians believed reimbursement would become less favorable for them. They also indicated that mid-level providers, who are expected to take on more prominent role due to more patients and a growing physician shortage, are not as well qualified as they are.

Physicians had mixed feelings about electronic medical records but only 24 percent believed EMR would have a negative effect on patient care. Practitioners who cared for patients longitudinally and were less procedure-oriented were more positive about EMRs.

Read the HCPlexus report on ACOs.

Read more coverage of hospital-physician alignment:

- 6 Secrets for Better Hospital-Physician Relationships

- The Physician Hospital Enterprise: Physician Leadership Forges New Alliances

- Hospital Mergers Present Unique Opportunity for Physician Alignment

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