Data integration: blue skies ahead for network management

Managed care organizations with an eye on the future realize that they must make the transition from cost management to quality management. This process relies heavily on the integrity and immediacy of the data that are collected, collated, and interpreted. Physicians and other medical providers will now play key roles in this process because, to date, MCOs have proved more adept at collecting reams of data than at employing data to effectively improve quality and reduce costs.