Certified Specialist Business Intelligence Practice Test

What role do Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) play in healthcare?

1. Regulating healthcare prices

2. Encouraging provider service coordination

3. Improving individual patient care

4. Reducing administrative costs

The correct answer is: Encouraging provider service coordination

Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) play a significant role in encouraging provider service coordination, which is crucial for delivering high-quality healthcare. ACOs are designed to bring together a group of healthcare providers, including hospitals, physicians, and other healthcare professionals, who voluntarily come together to provide coordinated care to their patients. The goal of this coordination is to ensure that patients, especially those with chronic conditions, receive appropriate care at the right time, avoiding unnecessary duplication of services and preventing medical errors. By fostering an environment of collaboration among providers, ACOs enhance communication and the sharing of patient information, which leads to more informed decision-making and a holistic approach to patient health. This method ultimately seeks to improve outcomes, increase patient satisfaction, and reduce healthcare costs by minimizing inefficiencies. Other options do not encapsulate the primary function of ACOs as effectively. While improving individual patient care is a broader outcome of their coordination efforts, it is the intentional focus on provider service coordination that is fundamental to their operation. Similarly, while ACOs can have effects on healthcare prices and administrative costs, their primary design and purpose revolve around coordinating care among providers to better serve patients.