Big studies, simple lessons

Goldman describes how service systems research examines the impact of economic and organizational strategies designed to promote particular service combinations (such as continuity of care) and inhibit others (such as preferentially serving only those individuals who are the easiest to treat). The recurring theme from the large services research initiatives is that the content of care, as well as the organization and financing of care, matters. This theme is distinct from what these large services research projects were designed to assess, which speaks both to the unexpected benefits from these massive studies and the need for more efficient tools to examine the interrelationships among the organization, financing and content of care.