{"id":20187,"date":"2018-05-24T08:15:51","date_gmt":"2018-05-24T12:15:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.carecloud.com\/continuum\/?p=20187"},"modified":"2025-10-24T12:26:31","modified_gmt":"2025-10-24T12:26:31","slug":"what-is-a-clinically-integrated-network","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/carecloud.com\/continuum\/what-is-a-clinically-integrated-network\/","title":{"rendered":"What is a Clinically Integrated Network, and Why Do They Matter?"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s no secret that the healthcare landscape is changing. Increasingly, there\u2019s a focus on delivering better health outcomes more efficiently and at a lower cost. With healthcare reimbursement shifting towards a \u201cpay for performance\u201d model and an increased focus on <\/span>population health<\/span>, health systems and providers are incentivized more and more to look at how they can use data, analytics, and other measures to keep patients healthy and improve patient outcomes. This includes using big data and machine learning to identify patient trends and making more appropriate preventative health suggestions on a case-by-case basis, instead of just treating them when they fall ill. <\/span><\/p>\n

As care delivery methods and compensation evolve, clinical integration and Clinically Integrated Networks (CIN) are being leveraged to deal with market changes, both anticipated and realized. And while changes in the market are one big reason for the uptick in Clinical Integrated Networks in recent years \u2013 there are now around 500 CINs in existence in the United States according to Becker\u2019s Hospital Review – many CIN members have joined networks because they believe the ultimate goals of CINs<\/span> will improve the health of their patients. <\/span><\/p>\n

What is a Clinically Integrated Network (CIN)?<\/span><\/h2>\n

In its article, \u201c<\/span>The 7 Components of a Clinical Integration Network<\/span><\/a>,\u201d Becker\u2019s Hospital Review defines CINs as individual providers and health systems that are collaborating strategically to do three things: 1) improve patient care, 2) decrease the cost of care and 3) demonstrate their value to the rapidly changing market.<\/span><\/p>\n

A CIN can be a joint venture between a health system and providers, between provider partners only, or can operate as a subsidiary of a health system– which requires each provider member to sign a separate legal agreement to be part of the CIN. <\/span><\/p>\n

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, CINs all share four defining characteristics. <\/span>In order to operate legally as a CIN, a network must: <\/b><\/p>\n