Managed care at Eisenhower Army Medical Center: an initial experience

Managed care is receiving a great deal of attention in the health care industry. In today's cost-conscious economic environment, managed care has been developed in an attempt to maximize quality of health care while minimizing the cost of providing that care. The purposes of this article are to (1) review the principles of clinical case management; (2) describe the implementation of clinical case management and critical paths at Dwight David Eisenhower Army Medical Center; (3) elaborate on successful strategies employed; and (4) address difficulties encountered. Finally, the study that is currently underway at the facility will be briefly discussed.