Reference no: EM132980023 , Length: word count: 300

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (PPACA) contains many provisions that seek to intertwine the quality of care with the cost of care. Nurses' education, skills and professional scope make them indispensable contributors to the successful implementation of evolving patient-centred care delivery models. One of the innovative healthcare delivery models is Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). It is a collaboration among primary care clinicians, a hospital, specialists and other health professionals who accept joint responsibility for the quality and cost of care provided to its patients (HPI, n.d.). It is a group of providers that promotes accountability patient population and coordinates items and services under Medicare and encourages investment in infrastructure and redesigned care processes for high quality and efficient service delivery.

The largest benefit that accountable care could bring for the healthcare industry is to garner cost savings or reduce spending. Another major benefit of ACOs is their ability to improve population health management and patient outcomes. A brief from the Center for Health Care Strategies and the Urban Health Research and Practice at Northeastern University shows that new healthcare delivery models like ACOs offer innovative methods for payers and providers to achieve better population health outcomes. Medicaid ACOs, for instance, have shown a greater focus on preventing disease and promoting wellness, which leads to stronger population health improvements. This reduces the likelihood that a disease would progress and lead to more costly hospital stays. The community gains a wide number of advantages including, improved patient outcomes, the better quality of care, greater engagement with providers, and an overall reduction in out-of-pocket costs.

Question 1: Describe one innovative health care delivery model that incorporates an interdisciplinary care delivery team. Explain how this model is advantageous to patient outcomes.