Regarding quality, few healthcare organizations can back up their claims of higher quality and better medical outcomes with hard data. Integrated healthcare systems make healthcare more accessible by making it more convenient, such as providing more primary-care satellite offices, smoother patient transitions between physician offices and other healthcare facilities, longer office hours and greater use of minor emergency centers. As far as return on investment, several factors are involved in analyzing the economic costs versus benefits, such as required investment, risk factors, benefits. One article looked at how New York hospitals are scrambling to find new pipelines for patients by going to HMO s, insurers, smaller hospitals, clinics and doctor groups. The goal is to maintain and build up patient volume.
Competition is fierce and people who used to be colleagues are now either partners or competitors.
Primary care networks are evolving, currently, the preferred system includes base salaries with incentive bonus opportunities. When performance does not meet expectations, executives should not necessarily abandon their primary care strategy, rather they should examine its execution.