The study, which refers to the regional systems as “clusters,” examined high-risk cases for seven surgical procedures and discovered that lead facilities within the clusters performed 59 percent (for esophagectomy) to 87 percent (for aortic valve replacement) of high risk cases.
The authors suggest that while clusters have been successful at moving higher-volume, complex procedures to a lead facility, care coordination among competing systems may be required to meaningful shift lower-volume, complex cases (such as as esophagectomies) to a single facility.
Related Articles on Care Coordination:
How to Achieve Accountable Care While Avoiding Downfalls of Medicare ACOs
Varying Degrees of Consolidation: Why Creativity Matters in Hospital Transactions
