Do Physicians Need to 'Get Organized'?
<p>Recent studies offer compelling evidence that health care in the U.S. is not nearly as effective or efficient as it could be, and that many Americans suffer from the underuse, overuse, or misuse of services. A wide range of experts, including The Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance Health System, believe that the way health care providers are organized should play a role in a fundamental redesign of health care delivery in the U.S.<br><br>In the new Commonwealth Fund report, <a href="/publications/fund-reports/2008/apr/physician-organization-in-relation-to-quality-and-efficiency-of-care--a-synthesis-of-recent-literatu
">Physician Organization in Relation to Quality and Efficiency of Care: A Synthesis of Recent Literature</a>, Laura Tollen of the Kaiser Permanente Institute for Health Policy presents a framework for understanding recent research linking organizational attributes with higher quality and efficiency in the care provided by physician groups--the core of any organized care delivery system.<br><br>Tollen reviews evidence regarding the importance of cohesion and collaboration within a physician practice; the optimal practice size for supporting the infrastructure needed for quality and efficiency improvements; and practice affiliation. She also discusses the role policymakers can play in promoting those physician group attributes that are linked to quality or efficiency.</p>