Correlating physical and mental health status with satisfaction in a health plan

Managed care organizations strive to prevent illness where possible and improve patient outcomes for enrollees. The objective of this study was to examine how data from the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-12 from more than 45,000 health plan enrollees can be used to: compare enrollee health status with national norms, examine the relationship between health status and member characteristics, and determine the extent to which health status is related to member satisfaction. The member survey measured physical and mental health and the following aspects of satisfaction: access, communication, and medical services. The researchers found that physical and mental health status were significantly associated with age, education, and ethnicity, whereas satisfaction was positively correlated with mental health status. Monitoring the health status of enrollees through the administration of a short, well-validated questionnaire can provide useful information in comparison with national norms as well as important insights regarding potential areas to target for quality improvement initiatives.