Turning Practice Data into Better Decisions
Most primary care practices have no shortage of data. They receive payer reports, quality reports, EHR dashboards, ACO updates, and operational data from inside the practice. The challenge is not whether information exists, it is whether anyone has the time and support to turn that information into clear priorities and practical decisions. That is becoming more important, not less. A 2024 JAMA Health Forum study found that primary care physicians were exposed to a mean of 57 unique quality measures across 7.62 value-based contracts, with about 10 measures per contract. [i] At the same time, CMS says Shared Savings Program ACOs have been required to report quality data on the APP Plus measure set beginning in performance year 2025, and CMS reports that 511 ACOs are participating in the program for 2026, serving 12.6 million people with Traditional Medicare. [ii] [iii]
That matters because more data does not automatically create better insight. In a 2023 JAMA Network Open study of 307 primary care physicians, doctors spent a median of 36.2 minutes on the EHR for each visit, including 6.2 minutes of after-hours “pajama time” and 7.8 minutes on the electronic inbox. [iv] When physicians and practice leaders are already working under that kind of pressure, it is hard to step back, study a dashboard, and decide what really deserves attention.
The practices that are the best at this work are usually not the practices with the most reports. They are the practices that can spot signals that matter and connect them to action. A 2025 JAMA Health Forum study found that ACO participation was associated with better primary care access and capability scores, and the authors pointed to capabilities such as process-improvement systems, team-based care, and EHR-supported registries for preventive and chronic disease management. [v] This tells us reports matter most when they lead to action.
CMS is moving in the same direction in AHEAD: the agency says participating primary care practices can receive prospective, flexible, enhanced payments intended to build capacity for care coordination, behavioral health integration, health-related social needs work, stronger quality reporting, and better performance management. [vi] That makes the ability to turn information into action especially important, because practices often need that capability in order to earn the resources that help further build the capability. In such an environment, advantage is created by having the operational know-how and discipline to turn information into action.
Without the right systems and processes in place, data quickly becomes just another source of noise. That is where Mansfield Primary Care Support can help. Mansfield gives practices experienced, executive-level help making sense of performance data in a way that is useful, not overwhelming. That includes identifying which measures matter, connecting quality and utilization trends to payer strategy and operational decisions, preparing for ACO or payer conversations, and helping practices focus their limited time on improvements most likely to reduce burden and/or support financial performance. Good data matters, but what most practices really need is clear insight and a trusted partner who knows how to help them act on what the numbers are saying.
[i] https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama-health-forum/fullarticle/2822685
[ii] https://www.cms.gov/medicare/payment/fee-for-service-providers/shared-savings-program-ssp-acos/guidance-regulations
[iii] https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/2026-medicare-accountable-care-organization-initiatives-participation-highlights
[iv] https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2812258
[v] https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama-health-forum/fullarticle/2829823