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Asaf Bitton, M.D.

Associate Professor of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital
Associate Professor of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School
Associate Professor of Health Care Policy in the Department of Health Policy and Management, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

As a practicing primary care physician and health systems innovator, my work centers on improving the measurement and delivery of primary care nationally and globally. I have a particular focus on the implementation and evaluation of new team-based models of primary care delivery, and their associated payment structures. In the past, I studied the epidemiology and control of non-communicable diseases in low and middle income countries, with a focus on global tobacco control.

In addition to my appointments at the Division of General Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital and the Department of Health Care Policy at Harvard Medical School, I direct the work at Ariadne Labs for the Primary Health Care Performance Initiative (www.phcperformanceinitiative.org). This joint effort with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Bank, the World Health Organization, along with Results for Development, aims to measure in both traditional and novel ways primary care functions and performance within low and middle income partner countries, with the goal of understanding variation in performance and tailoring improvement initiatives to address performance gaps.

I also serve as a Senior Advisor to the Comprehensive Primary Care initiative at the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. This national multi-payer initiative launched in 2012 combines payment reform and practice redesign to transform 474 primary care practices in 8 states over 4 years with the overarching goal of improving quality of care, patient experience, and reducing costs.

I practice primary care medicine and am the Assistant Medical Director at the Brigham and Women’s Advanced Primary Care Associates, South Huntington, a patient-centered medical home practice in Jamaica Plain, MA.

Transforming Primary Care Practice and Education: Lessons From 6 Academic Learning Collaboratives.
Authors: Authors: Koch U, Bitton A, Landon BE, Phillips RS.
J Ambul Care Manage
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Alignment of breast cancer screening guidelines, accountability metrics, and practice patterns.
Authors: Authors: Onega T, Haas JS, Bitton A, Brackett C, Weiss J, Goodrich M, Harris K, Pyle S, Tosteson AN.
Am J Manag Care
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Inadequate Systems to Support Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening in Primary Care Practice.
Authors: Authors: Schapira MM, Sprague BL, Klabunde CN, Tosteson AN, Bitton A, Chen JS, Beaber EF, Onega T, MacLean CD, Harris K, Howe K, Pearson L, Feldman S, Brawarsky P, Haas JS.
J Gen Intern Med
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Effects of New Funding Models for Patient-Centered Medical Homes on Primary Care Practice Finances and Services: Results of a Microsimulation Model.
Authors: Authors: Basu S, Phillips RS, Song Z, Landon BE, Bitton A.
Ann Fam Med
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Implementation of treat-to-target in rheumatoid arthritis through a Learning Collaborative: Rationale and design of the TRACTION trial.
Authors: Authors: Solomon DH, Lee SB, Zak A, Corrigan C, Agosti J, Bitton A, Harrold L, Losina E, Lu B, Pincus T, Radner H, Smolen J, Katz JN, Fraenkel L.
Semin Arthritis Rheum
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A population management system for improving colorectal cancer screening in a primary care setting.
Authors: Authors: Wu CA, Mulder AL, Zai AH, Hu Y, Costa M, Tishler LW, Saltzman JR, Ellner AL, Bitton A.
J Eval Clin Pract
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Enhanced primary care and impact on quality of care in Massachusetts.
Authors: Authors: Bitton A, Baughman AW, Carlini S, Weissman JS, Bates DW.
Am J Manag Care
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Tobacco Dependence Treatment Training Programs: An International Survey.
Authors: Authors: Kruse GR, Rigotti NA, Raw M, McNeill A, Murray R, Piné-Abata H, Bitton A, McEwen A.
Nicotine Tob Res
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Take the money and run? Redemption of a gift card incentive in a clinician survey.
Authors: Authors: Chen JS, Sprague BL, Klabunde CN, Tosteson AN, Bitton A, Onega T, MacLean CD, Harris K, Schapira MM, Haas JS.
BMC Med Res Methodol
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Provider Attitudes and Screening Practices Following Changes in Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening Guidelines.
Authors: Authors: Haas JS, Sprague BL, Klabunde CN, Tosteson AN, Chen JS, Bitton A, Beaber EF, Onega T, Kim JJ, MacLean CD, Harris K, Yamartino P, Howe K, Pearson L, Feldman S, Brawarsky P, Schapira MM.
J Gen Intern Med
View full abstract on Pubmed