Image of Asaf Bitton

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.

Toward a better understanding of patient-reported outcomes in clinical practice.
Authors: Authors: Bitton A, Onega T, Tosteson AN, Haas JS.
Am J Manag Care
View full abstract on Pubmed
A comparison of Tier 1 and Tier 3 medical homes under Oklahoma Medicaid program.
Authors: Authors: Kumar JI, Anthony M, Crawford SA, Arky RA, Bitton A, Splinter GL.
J Okla State Med Assoc
View full abstract on Pubmed
Review: treat to target in rheumatoid arthritis: fact, fiction, or hypothesis?
Authors: Authors: Solomon DH, Bitton A, Katz JN, Radner H, Brown EM, Fraenkel L.
Arthritis Rheumatol
View full abstract on Pubmed
Characteristics of individuals not visiting their primary care provider.
Authors: Authors: Bitton A, Dugani SB.
Isr J Health Policy Res
View full abstract on Pubmed
Patient-centered medical home transformation with payment reform: patient experience outcomes.
Authors: Authors: Heyworth L, Bitton A, Lipsitz SR, Schilling T, Schiff GD, Bates DW, Simon SR.
Am J Manag Care
View full abstract on Pubmed
The EFECT framework for interprofessional education in the patient centered medical home.
Authors: Authors: Bitton A, Pereira AG, Smith CS, Babbott SF, Bowen JL.
Healthc (Amst)
View full abstract on Pubmed
A survey of tobacco dependence treatment guidelines in 121 countries.
Authors: Authors: Piné-Abata H, McNeill A, Raw M, Bitton A, Rigotti N, Murray R.
Addiction
View full abstract on Pubmed
A survey of tobacco dependence treatment services in 121 countries.
Authors: Authors: Piné-Abata H, McNeill A, Murray R, Bitton A, Rigotti N, Raw M.
Addiction
View full abstract on Pubmed
The impact of medication adherence on coronary artery disease costs and outcomes: a systematic review.
Authors: Authors: Bitton A, Choudhry NK, Matlin OS, Swanton K, Shrank WH.
Am J Med
View full abstract on Pubmed
When physicians counsel about stress: results of a national study.
Authors: Authors: Nerurkar A, Bitton A, Davis RB, Phillips RS, Yeh G.
JAMA Intern Med
View full abstract on Pubmed