Executive Summary Introduction Health care expenditures are increasing at a rapid rate in the United States each year. One option to decrease expenditures and increase patient outcomes is the implementation of the Accountable Care Organization. The following discourse summarizes the goal of ACOs, the goal of the ACO, implications and barriers to ACO start-up, and nursing implications for both entry-level nurses and advanced practice nurses. Objective The purpose of the communication and objective of the report is to provide background information for the PNP Hawkeye Hospital Board to make a decision as to whether or not becoming an ACO is a viable option for the organization. If so, the discourse provides potential implications and barriers …show more content…
The overall goal of an ACO, which may include physicians, hospitals, and other healthcare professionals, is to provide quality care while meeting defined outcomes and indicators. Overall, the implementation of the ACO should allow for decreased healthcare expenditures. The concept of the ACO is not without barrier to implementation; it affects all healthcare providers and requires extensive interdisciplinary work and increased communication. Nursing practice is influenced by an ACO; staff nurses will be influenced and advanced nurses will be affected. Overall, additional responsibility will be placed on the role of the …show more content…
The goal for ACOs are to provide the correct care for the patient, within an adequate time frame, preventing unnecessary services, and protecting the patient from clinical mistakes (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 2015a). The program is voluntary for healthcare professionals (HCPs); if agreed to be in the ACO, the clinician must understand the necessary infrastructure of coordination and quality to meet the patient’s care needs within the guidelines. In doing so, HCPs in an ACO should understand the financial benefits and risks associated with losses and gains based upon outcomes and quality (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 2015b). To meet the needs of an ACO, an interdisciplinary team must work both inpatient and outpatient to meet defined indicators and outcomes. Appendix A provides an example of HCPs providing care, both inpatient and outpatient and the relationship to