Managed care quarterly
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Managed care quarterly · Jan 2002
Patient care cancer clinical trials at the National Cancer Institute: a resource for payers and providers.
Clinical trials form the evidence base for medical decision making and may provide patients with life-threatening conditions their best chance to find an effective treatment. A growing number of states and the federal government are mandating coverage of the routine costs of cancer clinical trials, although the extent of coverage varies. Individual health plans are following suit on behalf of their beneficiaries. Trials conducted at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) are an attractive resource for payers, because NCI provides medical services at no charge, enables patient access to promising care, emphasizes continuity with patients' regular physicians, and makes the referral and enrollment process easy and efficient through its Clinical Studies Support Center's toll-free information line 1-888-NCI-1937.
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Managed care quarterly · Jan 2002
Quality of healthcare information on the Internet: caveat emptor still rules.
The Internet is a burgeoning source of healthcare information for consumers and medical professionals, providing a wealth of data on diseases and chronic conditions, treatment options and patient safety. However, numerous studies have documented substantial variation in both the completeness and accuracy of this information. Although there are promising signs of improvement and new self-policing efforts, Internet users must still proceed with caution when seeking healthcare information online, as incomplete, inaccurate and even dangerous information still abounds in cyberspace. Constituencies concerned with healthcare and the Internet can take action to improve the quality of information online.
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Don't ask, don't tell is the attitude of both patients and doctors toward symptoms of urinary incontinence (UI). This has serious fiscal implications for managed care, because the consequences of not treating the condition increase the annual cost of care by an estimated $3,941 per individual. Behavioral treatments have clinical efficacy of 87 percent, and should be tried first, according to the clinical practice guidelines published by the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research. Attitudes about the condition, and historical and current interventions, are discussed.
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Managed care quarterly · Jan 1998
Comparative StudyIn California, Medi-Cal managed care is superior to Medi-Cal fee-for-service.
This is a comparative analysis of California's "experiment" in Medi-Cal managed care. It compares managed care to fee-for-service in the area of quality. ⋯ The state of California has steadily increased its commitment to the large-scale expansion of managed care within the Medi-Cal Program in order to improve beneficiaries' access to quality preventative and primary health care while acting as a prudent purchaser of services. This study examines one Local Initiative--Inland Empire Health Plan--created as a not-for-profit, joint powers, public entity by Riverside and San Bernardino counties, California.