Evaluating the Formation and Performance of Accountable Care Organizations

Grantee Organization: The Commonwealth Foundation Sub-contract from Dartmouth University

Term: January 2013 – December 2014


This project has two main research aims: 1) to advance our understanding of ACO implementation, including a focus on the treatment and management of high cost, high need patients, through a mixed-method approach analyzing data from the National Survey of Accountable Care Organizations and in-depth qualitative interviews and 2) To analyze the local areas and the providers forming ACOs drawing on Medicare claims data, the National Survey of Accountable Care Organizations, and other data sources (e.g., Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, American Community Survey) to provide insight into the characteristics of ACOs and where they are forming, and to lay the foundation for subsequent studies of the impact of ACO formation on health outcomes, quality of care, and costs.