New research from The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, published this week in JAMA Network Open, finds that Accountable Care Organization (ACO)-reported care management and coordination activities were not associated with improved outcomes or lower spending for patients with complex needs.

Findings from a new study conducted by a team of researchers at Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine and published in the July issue of Health Affairs, shows that while the number and variety of contracts held by ACOs have increased dramatically in recent years, the proportion of those bearing downside risk has seen only modest growth.