ABSTRACT
Clinical integration is centered on fostering collaboration among independent doctors and hospitals in a way that increases both the quality and efficiency of patient care. Clinical integration was not created to change the pattern of the physician’s clinical judgment, but instead to incorporate a similar approach from a different physician. In general, an Accountability Care Organization (ACO) is a legally structured arrangement between primary hospital care and specialty physicians and other providers, including rehabilitation care facilities and home healthcare, to coordinate and deliver efficient care. The physician must play a vital role because he or she is critical to achieving and sustaining high quality and reducing costs. The structures needed for a successful ACO include an executive and a physician leadership culture of teamwork, and a strong association between physician providers and with the administrator.
