Special report. Integrating managed care. Continuity of care: integrating the components

Although illnesses may attack specific parts of the body, treating anything less than the whole man can lead to serious problems. Catastrophic illnesses, for example, are often accompanied by depression. Employees being treated for alcohol or substance abuse may also be suffering from psychiatric disorders. Irrespective of which came first, the alcoholism or the depression, the conditions are intertwined. And their treatments need to complement one another. As companies contract with increasing numbers of specialty providers in an attempt to manage health care costs and utilization, communication among vendors can break down. Treatments may be repeated. Therapies can contradict one another. Employees sometimes fall through the cracks. What's needed is care that is comprehensive and continuous. The following series of stories examines the positive changes that may accrue when managed care techniques are applied in a synoptic fashion.