A study found that large multispecialty medical groups provide higher quality care at a lower cost compared with physicians in small group practices. The study, published online in the May 2010 issue of the journal Health Affairs, was supported by CHCF.

Researchers examined the cost and quality of care delivered to fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries in 22 health care markets by physicians in small group practices and those in large multispecialty groups, all of whom are members of the Council for Accountable Physician Practices.

The reasearchers observed that large, well-organized, multispecialty practices are positioned to take costs and quality to a new level.

The study, "Higher Health Care Quality and Bigger Savings Found at Large Multispecialty Medical Groups," included 741,448 patients whose ambulatory care claims were examined for several cost and quality measures over a two-year period. Overall, the large multispecialty group practices improved the quality of care by 5% to 15% at a 3.6% ($272) lower annual cost per patient.

Researchers suggested if all physicians performed at this level, Medicare could yield $15 billion a year in savings. 

The May 2010 issue of Health Affairs also includes a book review by CHCF Senior Program Officer Len Finocchio, Dr.P.H., titled "Our National Smile," a review of The Making of the American Mouth: Dentists and Public Health in the Twentieth Century by Alyssa Picard.