Ten dimensions of public-sector managed care

Behavioral health electronic medical record

The electronic medical record (EMR) will be an important part of the future of medical practice. Behavioral health treatment demands certain additions to the capabilities of a standard general medical EMR. The current focus on the quality management and financial aspects of the EMR are only initial examples of what this tool can do. It is important for behavioral health practitioners to understand that they must embrace this innovation and mold it into a product that serves their needs and the needs of their patients. An efficient and effective EMR will greatly assist the overall clinical enterprise in a number of important areas.

Managed care in the public sector: lessons learned from the Los Angeles PARTNERS program

PARTNERS is the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health's capitated managed care treatment program. To explore the context in which public sector managed care reforms are occurring and to understand the obstacles to implementing such programs, qualitative data were collected from administrators, case managers, and clients. Administrators were found to need assistance in negotiating managed care contracts and in tracking costs. Case managers, although concerned about increased clinical demands, enjoyed the flexibility and creativity their new roles allowed. Clients were satisfied with their increased independence, even though many had to change their site of care. Beyond considering these concerns, the range of community stakeholders who may be affected by such interventions must be addressed.

Understanding managed behavioral health care

Managed care can be understood from an historical perspective as a reaction to perceived abuses by providers or an extension of earlier efforts to manage care in the public sector. It can be viewed as a young and emerging force--a fourth party to the health care transaction--that is rapidly progressing through a series of generations that redefine the approach to organizing and delivering services. And finally, because managed care emerges with so many faces, consumers and providers can perhaps best understand its implementation in a specific state or community by examining the multiple dimensions, such as those outlined herein, on which these initiatives vary. Until the forms and functions are more uniform, no simple definition of managed care will exist.