--- title: "Physician practice participation in ACOs. | Sutter Health" description: "To provide the first nationally based information on physician practice involvement in ACOs." url: "https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/physician-practice-participation-in-acos-1055312896" --- 1. [Home](https://www.sutterhealth.org/) / 2. [Research](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research) / 3. [Research publications](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications) / 4. Physician practice participation in ACOs. # Physician practice participation in accountable care organizations: the emergence of the unicorn. Shortell SM, McClellan SR, Ramsay PP, Casalino LP, Ryan AM, & Copeland KR. _Health Serv Res. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.12167. \[Epub ahead of print\]_ 2014-03-15 ## Abstract OBJECTIVE: To provide the first nationally based information on physician practice involvement in ACOs. DATA SOURCES/STUDY SETTING: Primary data from the third National Survey of Physician Organizations (January 2012-May 2013). STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a 40-minute phone survey in a sample of physician practices. A nationally representative sample of practices was surveyed in order to provide estimates of organizational characteristics, care management processes, ACO participation, and related variables for four major chronic illnesses. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS: We evaluated the associations between ACO participation, organizational characteristics, and a 25-point index of patient-centered medical home processes. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We found that 23.7 percent of physician practices (n = 280) reported joining an ACO; 15.7 percent (n = 186) were planning to become involved within the next 12 months and 60.6 percent (n = 717) reported no involvement and no plans to become involved. Larger practices, those receiving patients from an IPA and/or PHO, those that were physician-owned versus hospital/health system-owned, those located in New England, and those with greater patient-centered medical home (PCMH) care management processes were more likely to have joined an ACO. CONCLUSIONS: Physician practices that are currently participating in ACOs appear to be relatively large, or to be members of an IPA or PHO, are less likely to be hospital-owned and are more likely to use more care management processes than nonparticipating practices. [PubMed abstract](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24628449) ## Research topics - [Health Policy](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?query=%22%5C%22Health+Policy%5C%22%22) - [Health Services](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?query=%22%5C%22Health+Services%5C%22%22) ## Related publications [View all publications](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?verticalKey=research_publication) - Publication ### [Standardizing primary care physician panels: is age and sex good enough?](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/standardizing-pcp-panels-1055312652) Chung S, Eaton LJ, Luft HS. Am J Manag Care. 18(7):e262-8.PMID:22823555 2012 Jul 01 - Publication ### [Health care for the working poor: from focus groups to state policy.](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/healthcare-wking-poor-focus-grps-state-policy-1055312329) Tierney WM, Kinney ED, Tai-Seale M, Greene JY, Murray R, Latondress T. J Investig Med. 46(7):279A. 1998 Jul 01 - Publication ### [Does consumer satisfaction information matter? Evidence on member retention in FEHBP plans.](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/consumer-satisfaction-fehbp-plans-1055312559) Tai-Seale M. Med Care Res Rev. 61(2):171-86. 2004 Jun 01 - Publication ### [Assessment of accuracy and usability of a fee estimator for ambulatory care in an integrated health care delivery network.](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/fee-estimator-for-ambulatory-care-accuracy-usability-1055312808) Stults CD, Li J, Frosch DL, Krishnan H, Smith-McCurdy G, Jones VG, Chan AS. JAMA Netw Open. 2(12):e1917445. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.17445. 2019 Dec 02 - Publication ### [Does the frequency of pay-for-performance payment matter? Experience from a randomized trial.](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/frequency-of-pay-for-performance-payments-1055312614) Chung S, Palaniappan L, Wong E, Rubin HR, and Luft HS. Health Serv Res 45(2):553-64. doi: 10.1111/j.1475-6773.2009.01072.x. Epub 2009 Dec 31. 2010 Apr 01 [View all publications](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?verticalKey=research_publication) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalOrganization","name":"Sutter Health","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/#medicalorganization","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org","logo":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/static/images/sutter-health-logo.svg","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"2200 River Plaza Drive","addressLocality":"Sacramento","addressRegion":"CA","postalCode":"95833","addressCountry":"US"},"areaServed":{"@type":"AdministrativeArea","name":"California"},"sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/SutterHealth","https://www.instagram.com/sutterhealth/","https://x.com/SutterHealth","https://www.youtube.com/sutterhealth","https://www.linkedin.com/company/sutter-health","https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutter_Health"]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/physician-practice-participation-in-acos-1055312896#breadcrumblist","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Research","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Research publications","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Physician practice participation in ACOs."}]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalScholarlyArticle","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/physician-practice-participation-in-acos-1055312896#medicalscholarlyarticle","name":"Physician practice participation in accountable care organizations: the emergence of the unicorn.","headline":"Physician practice participation in ACOs.","abstract":"OBJECTIVE: To provide the first nationally based information on physician practice involvement in ACOs. DATA SOURCES/STUDY SETTING: Primary data from the third National Survey of Physician Organizations (January 2012-May 2013). STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a 40-minute phone survey in a sample of physician practices. A nationally representative sample of practices was surveyed in order to provide estimates of organizational characteristics, care management processes, ACO participation, and related variables for four major chronic illnesses. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS: We evaluated the associations between ACO participation, organizational characteristics, and a 25-point index of patient-centered medical home processes. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We found that 23.7 percent of physician practices (n = 280) reported joining an ACO; 15.7 percent (n = 186) were planning to become involved within the next 12 months and 60.6 percent (n = 717) reported no involvement and no plans to become involved. Larger practices, those receiving patients from an IPA and/or PHO, those that were physician-owned versus hospital/health system-owned, those located in New England, and those with greater patient-centered medical home (PCMH) care management processes were more likely to have joined an ACO. 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