Clinical integration allows independent/private practice and employed physicians alike to jointly develop clinical initiatives with hospitals or health systems, aiming at patient care that's higher quality, more efficient, and less costly. These agreements also allow providers and care partners to formally align and collaborate on the critical requirements of care coordination: evaluation and concrete improvement of clinical performance, reduction of unnecessary service utilization, and management and support of high-cost and high-risk patients. According to HealthLeaders Media research, an increasing number of health systems and physicians enter into clinical integration arrangements to gain expertise in population health management. As this trend evolves, health system leaders who are developing clinical integration networks say the strategy is helping align physicians, metrics, and goals of care, but planning on the front end is crucial.