January 2000

There's a line between encouragement and coercion that doctors say some health plans ignore. Given physician defensiveness, can any approach to DM work? Does capitation make effective buy-in nearly impossible?
Valid outcomes studies in disease management are elusive. Which are good? Which are not? How do you evaluate what a vendor has to offer?
Naturally, doctors are more likely to buy into a physician-led DM program. Rewarding them for resulting lower medical costs keeps them in the game.
Steps used in creating a system that markedly improved asthma outcomes and cut costs at Hartford Hospital are typical of what's involved.
T.V. Parasuraman, Ph.D. ;
Patricia A. Deverka, M.D., M.S. ;
Michael R. Toscani, Pharm.D.
Departments
Compensation Monitor
Managed Care Outlook