RAND Health researchers analyzed a group of Medicare patients to identify key issues that help to determine which provider should be accountable for an episode of care.
The study identifies some of the challenges implementing such a payment system would face, such as defining what provider is responsible for treating which conditions and treating patients with multiple conditions under this system.
Other issues include how to define an episode of care; understanding the sources of variation within episodes of care; and whether some types of providers would be put at undue financial risk if their patients were treated under an episode of care scheme, according to the release.
Read the release about the new RAND Health healthcare payment model study.
