The prospective payment system: information for the medical librarian and a selected annotated bibliography

The implementation of the prospective payment system for inpatient Medicare services and the usage of Diagnosis Related Groups as a vehicle for allocation of monies to providers has impacted significantly the health care industry as a whole. Librarians are instrumental in providing information to key health care personnel to meet the strategic challenge of prospective payment. This article reviews the evolution of prospective payment by DRG and provides selected sources of information as a beginning in developing a knowledge of the facets of prospective payment and the health care environment.