Primary Care Physicians' Links to Other Physicians Through Medicare Patients: The Scope of Care Coordination (2009)

This article examined the scope of work involved for physicians in coordinating care of older Medicare patients. It reveals that a typical primary care physician who treats older Medicare patients must coordinate care with 229 other physicians working in 117 different practices. Each primary care physician in the study treated an average of 264 Medicare fee-for-service patients. This research has implications for policy proposals to reimburse physicians for care coordination, a service that can have great benefits for family caregivers.

Author Hoangmai H. Pham, Ann S. O'Malley, Peter B. Bach, Cynthia Saiontz-Martinez, and Deborah Schrag

Date 2/17/2009

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Topic: Care Management/ Coordination/ Transitional Care