PURPOSE

Understand current provider approaches to the evaluation of various partnerships under accountable care contracts and create a framework to help accountable care organizations (ACOs) better assess their partnerships.

DESIGN

Study included (1) an in-depth literature review of materials describing high-value health care organizations as a foundation for draft framework development, (2) an expert panel convened to evaluate the framework and help prioritize provider types to evaluate, and (3) interviews with representatives of ACOs and entities representing various types of health care providers.

METHODOLOGY

Authors created a draft partnership framework derived from the literature review for expert panel feedback. An updated draft framework was then shared with active ACO leaders prior to qualitative interviews. All interviews were transcribed and coded using a mixed-methods analysis platform.

RESULTS

We found little research that took a comprehensive view of health care provider competencies and characteristics and by extension few resources to help ACOs fill competency gaps through partnerships. The ACOs interviewed were all actively engaged in provider partnerships and were learning and establishing best practices for provider partnerships.

CONCLUSIONS

Accountable care offers incentives for entities to improve the cost and quality of health care. To accomplish this in an effective way, ACOs must recognize the needs of their assigned populations and work to provide comprehensive care management across the spectrum of provider types. Accomplishing this will also require ACOs to create novel partnership arrangements and learn how to manage populations most effectively. ACOs need a framework for evaluating potential partners that will help risk-bearing providers establish the partnerships that will enable them to achieve their goals. This paper makes specific recommendations on how state and federal policy could facilitate better and more effective provider partnerships.