Aetna details importance of ACOs

Aetna recently published a blog on its website indicating the importance of accountable care organizations (ACO). 

Aetna states that ACOs aim to improve communication between patients and their physicians. These organizations consist of networks that include hospitals, doctor’s offices and other facilities that are primarily paid through insurance.

ACOs utilize information that is available through insurers, emergency medical staff, primary physicians and any other person who treats or manages medication for a patient. Those health care workers then would be aware of what treatments have been done and if the patient is continually refilling prescriptions.

“Too often doctors don’t know what’s going on with the patient at other doctors or hospitals. The insurer knows,” SVP of Memorial Hermann Health System and CEO of the Memorial Hermann Health Plan Dan Styf said. “Data from claims gives us perspective, so when the patient is sick and shows up in the system, we can see what is happening and take action.”

Recent studies among cardiologists indicate that doctors have reported that they do not ask if a patient is taking their prescribed medication. Aetna reports that approximately 50 percent of heart disease patients do not take their medication as recommended.

By utilizing an ACO, an accidental duplication of prescribing medication can be avoided. The Advocate Physician Partners in Chicago reported a case of a patient overdosing on blood thinners because three doctors had prescribed them without knowledge of the others.