Accountable Care Organizations: The Missing Link to Engagement in Health and Health Care?

Accountable care organizations (ACOs) aim to transform health care delivery and provider payment in a way that improves patient access, engagement and quality of care. If successful, ACOs may help the U.S. health care system finally evolve from a "diagnose, treat and reimburse mostly acute, episodic health care" approach to one that encourages and compensates health care providers that work with their patients throughout a full continuum of care to prevent and manage chronic conditions. What are the implications for ACOs from a workforce health perspective? ACOs were built on a framework for delivering evidence-based health care interventions to engage patients in managing and improving their health. But to what extent do ACOs or employers actually follow such a framework and how can these interventions be integrated with workplace health improvement and wellness efforts? The authors explore the mechanisms for impacting workforce health and provide a checklist to assist employers with evaluating ACOs and assessing feasibility of potential ACO integration with workplace health improvement programs.