Survey: Nearly 50% of Physicians Still Unsure About ACOs

Tags: accountable care organizations | ACOs | physicians | primary care physicians | specialists | survey

Though 61 percent of physicians are familiar with accountable care organizations, only 28 percent have considered plans for their practice to join or form an ACO, according to a survey from the Optum Institute for Sustainable Health.

The survey including the following findings for physicians and ACOs:

• Roughly 40 percent of the total 1,000 physicians surveyed — including 400 primary care physicians and 600 specialists — were not familiar with ACOs at the time of the Oct. 2011 survey.
• Forty-six percent of specialists and PCPs were unsure about plans for their practice to join or form an ACO.
• Overall, PCPs were more open to ACO formation: 36 percent said they had considered it and 18 percent said they had not. The remaining were unsure. Only 23 percent of specialists had considered ACOs while 31 percent had not.

Related Articles on ACOs:

ACOs Will Reduce Hospital Margins in the Near Term
CMS Announces Deadlines for Advance Payment ACO Model
Hot Spots and Ghost Towns: 5 Observations on ACO Proliferation

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