An empirical assessment of high-performing medical groups: results from a national study. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • The performance of medical groups is receiving increased attention. Relatively little conceptual or empirical work exists that examines the various dimensions of medical group performance. Using a national database of 693 medical groups, this article develops a scorecard approach to assessing group performance and presents a theory-driven framework for differentiating between high-performing versus low-performing medical groups. The clinical quality of care, financial performance, and organizational learning capability of medical groups are assessed in relation to environmental forces, resource acquisition and resource deployment factors, and a quality-centered culture. Findings support the utility of the performance scorecard approach and identification of a number of key factors differentiating high-performing from low-performing groups including, in particular, the importance of a quality-centered culture and the requirement of outside reporting from third party organizations. The findings hold a number of important implications for policy and practice, and the framework presented provides a foundation for future research.

publication date

  • August 1, 2005

Research

keywords

  • Group Practice
  • Health Services Research
  • Independent Practice Associations
  • Practice Management, Medical
  • Primary Health Care

Identity

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 22644442758

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1177/1077558705277389

PubMed ID

  • 16049132

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 62

issue

  • 4