Home Research Research Library Triple Aim Is Triply Tough: Can You Focus on Three Things at Once? Triple Aim Is Triply Tough: Can You Focus on Three Things at Once? 2018 Author(s) Donahue, Katrina E, Reid, Alfred, Baxley, Elizabeth G, Carter, Charles, Carek, Peter J, Robinson, Mark, and Newton, Warren P Volume Family Medicine Source Family Medicine BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The I3 POP Collaborative sought to improve health of patients attending North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia primary care teaching practices using the triple aim framework of better quality, appropriate utilization, and enhanced patient experience. We examined change in triple aim measures over 3 years, and identified correlates of improvement. METHODS: Twenty-nine teaching practices representing 23 residency programs participated. The Institute for Health Care Improvement Breakthrough Series Collaborative model was tailored to focus on at least one triple aim goal and programs submitted data annually on all collaborative measures. Outcome measures included quality (chronic illness, prevention); utilization (hospitalization, emergency department visits, referrals) and patient experience (access, continuity). Participant interviews explored supports and barriers to improvement. RESULTS: Six of 29 practices (21%) were unable to extract measures from their electronic health records (EHR). All of the remaining 23 practices reported improvement in at least one measure, with 11 seeing at least 10% improvement; seven (24%) improved measures in all three triple aim areas, with two experiencing at least 10% improvement. Practices with a greater number of patient visits were more likely to show improved measures (odds ratio [OR] 10.8, 95% confidence interval [CI]: .68-172.2, P=0.03). Practice interviews revealed that engaged leadership and systems supports were more common in higher performing practices. CONCLUSIONS: Simultaneous attainment of improvement in all three triple aim goals by teaching practices is difficult. I3 POP practices that were able to pull and report data improved on at least one measure. Future work needs to focus on cultivating leadership and systems supporting large scale improvement. ABFM Research Read all 2026 Demonstrating the Reliability and Structural Validity of Creating Patient-Level and Clinician-Level Scores on the Person Centered Primary Care Measure Go to Demonstrating the Reliability and Structural Validity of Creating Patient-Level and Clinician-Level Scores on the Person Centered Primary Care Measure 2026 Reflections on Family Medicine’s First Year of Program Signals and Other New ERAS Features Go to Reflections on Family Medicine’s First Year of Program Signals and Other New ERAS Features 2026 Estimation of Mortality via the Neighborhood Atlas and Reproducible Area Deprivation Indices Go to Estimation of Mortality via the Neighborhood Atlas and Reproducible Area Deprivation Indices 2026 Primary Care Physician Continuity Is a Consistent Measure Associated with Lower Costs and Hospitalizations Go to Primary Care Physician Continuity Is a Consistent Measure Associated with Lower Costs and Hospitalizations
Author(s) Donahue, Katrina E, Reid, Alfred, Baxley, Elizabeth G, Carter, Charles, Carek, Peter J, Robinson, Mark, and Newton, Warren P Volume Family Medicine Source Family Medicine
ABFM Research Read all 2026 Demonstrating the Reliability and Structural Validity of Creating Patient-Level and Clinician-Level Scores on the Person Centered Primary Care Measure Go to Demonstrating the Reliability and Structural Validity of Creating Patient-Level and Clinician-Level Scores on the Person Centered Primary Care Measure 2026 Reflections on Family Medicine’s First Year of Program Signals and Other New ERAS Features Go to Reflections on Family Medicine’s First Year of Program Signals and Other New ERAS Features 2026 Estimation of Mortality via the Neighborhood Atlas and Reproducible Area Deprivation Indices Go to Estimation of Mortality via the Neighborhood Atlas and Reproducible Area Deprivation Indices 2026 Primary Care Physician Continuity Is a Consistent Measure Associated with Lower Costs and Hospitalizations Go to Primary Care Physician Continuity Is a Consistent Measure Associated with Lower Costs and Hospitalizations
2026 Demonstrating the Reliability and Structural Validity of Creating Patient-Level and Clinician-Level Scores on the Person Centered Primary Care Measure Go to Demonstrating the Reliability and Structural Validity of Creating Patient-Level and Clinician-Level Scores on the Person Centered Primary Care Measure
2026 Reflections on Family Medicine’s First Year of Program Signals and Other New ERAS Features Go to Reflections on Family Medicine’s First Year of Program Signals and Other New ERAS Features
2026 Estimation of Mortality via the Neighborhood Atlas and Reproducible Area Deprivation Indices Go to Estimation of Mortality via the Neighborhood Atlas and Reproducible Area Deprivation Indices
2026 Primary Care Physician Continuity Is a Consistent Measure Associated with Lower Costs and Hospitalizations Go to Primary Care Physician Continuity Is a Consistent Measure Associated with Lower Costs and Hospitalizations
