The right information at the right time.
The latest information technology has the power to improve health and reduce costs. But due to independent practices, disconnected networks, and slow adoption, American medicine isn’t fully realizing its benefits.

"Medical errors—estimated to be the eighth leading cause of death in the U.S.—are more likely to stem from systems problems than human conduct."
—Source: Institute of Medicine, November, 1999

There is a better way to connect doctors and patients. And it’s being done everyday at Accountable Physician Practices.
When teams of specialists and health professionals share resources, it reduces the expense and personnel required to make communications technology work. Doctors have instant access to vital health information, including electronic medical records and automatic drug alerts. Patients are more connected, more engaged in their care, and more confident that their doctors know everything they need to know. The system is wired for performance.

• Thanks to shared information technology infrastructure, patients of Geisinger Clinic have anytime, anywhere access to health information—electronically, by phone or in person. Through a secure, convenient website, they can schedule appointments, review their health history, order prescription refills, and request referrals. Whatever their situation, they can access the information they need to make an informed choice based on their individual preferences and the best available medical evidence.

• The Henry Ford Medical Group has achieved remarkable success using information technology to fight diabetes. Thanks to a comprehensive electronic medical record and reminder system, doctors have instant access to all aspects of their patients’ care, offices receive automatic prompts to perform recommended tests, and patients receive regular mailed reminders. As a result, the group has achieved top quartile performance in diabetes screening, measures and control.

We have the technology. Together, we can make health care work better.

“CAPP’s 35 MSMGs [multispecialty medical groups] share a common vision as learning organizations dedicated to the improvement of clinical care. Their features include physician leadership and governance; commitment to evidence-based care management processes; well-developed quality improvement systems; team-based care; the use of advance clinical information technology; and the collection, analysis, and distribution of clinical performance information. These features are congruent with the [Institute of Medicine’s] recommendations on key elements needed to redesign delivery systems.”

From Chapter 5, “Developing the Test Bed—Linking Integrated Service Delivery Systems: Council of Accountable Physician Practices,” by Michael A. Mustile, MD. The Learning Healthcare System: Workshop Summary (IOM Roundtable on Evidence-Based Medicine), edited by LeighAnne Olsen, Dara Aisner, and J. Michael McGinnis, National Academies Press, 2007.

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“A shift from the current care model to a more coordinated care model centered on primary care is one potential way to help stave off the healthcare dilemma.”

“It's too expensive to be a primary-care doctor,” by Debra A. Geihsler, president and CEO of Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates & Atrius Health. Boston Globe, July 25, 2007.

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Medicare Payment Advisory Committee’s March 2007 Report to the Congress: “In three of the four [metropolitan statistical] areas, beneficiaries whose main physician was in multispecialty or hospital-affiliated groups had lower average annual spending than beneficiaries whose main physician was in solo or single-specialty groups. At the highest quintile of spending, all four areas show lower average spending for beneficiaries whose main physicians were in multispecialty or hospital-affiliated groups.”

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