Hospital story: Is US Healthcare moving to IDN or ACO/GPO structure?

Hospital story: Is US Healthcare moving to IDN or ACO/GPO structure?

I first heard the term ACO (Accountable Care Organization) in 2018, followed by GPO (Group Purchasing Organization) in 2022. Around the same time, IDN (Integrated Delivery Network) became prominent as it was apex in the HCP-HCO-HCO owner-IDN affiliation hierarchy. 

And today, I've got the dictionary definitions for these terms, with my own twist to make them as clear as a doctor's handwriting! (EMR: Electronic Medical Records based Writing) 😀😀😀

Let's take a closer look at these three terms: 

1. GPO are entities that are not owned by the healthcare facilities (members) they serve. GPOs help healthcare facilities reduce costs by leveraging collective purchasing power. GPOs negotiate bulk purchase agreements with suppliers enabling their members to get lower prices on drugs, medical supplies, equipment, and services. 

2. ACO are groups of healthcare providers and organizations (hospitals, physicians, clinics, nursing homes). They voluntarily unite to deliver coordinated, high-quality care to a specific patient population. Their primary goal is to shift the focus from fee-for-service to value-based care (better patient outcomes at lower costs)

3. IDN are networks of healthcare providers and facilities operating under a unified management structure. IDNs often include hospitals, outpatient clinics, physician groups, and sometimes even health insurers. This centralized approach allows for consistent quality standards, streamlined care coordination, and a unified brand experience for patients.

In summary, GPO provides collective buying power to cost for healthcare facility. ACOs are voluntarily united healthcare providers focused on delivering high-quality & value based care (about 20% of US hospitals are part of an ACO). 

IDNs are like ACOs, except the underlying healthcare facilities are owned by the IDNs, US healthcare is shifting to IDNs with 75% of hospitals in the U.S. being part of an IDN

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Read past stories like above at https://lnkd.in/d9ijze8r