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The ethics of managed care
1Mount Sinai Services, Queens Hospital Center, Jamaica, NY 11432, USA.
The Mount Sinai Journal of Medicine, New York
|January 1, 1997
Summary
Managed care presents ethical challenges like underutilization and delayed services. Physicians and patients must adapt to managed care, ensuring the physician remains the patient's advocate while practicing cost-conscious medicine.
Area of Science:
- Medical Ethics
- Healthcare Management
Background:
- Managed care systems introduce complex ethical considerations for healthcare providers and patients.
- Key concerns include potential underutilization of services, care delays, and gatekeeping mechanisms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the ethical dilemmas inherent in managed care.
- To provide guidance for physicians and patients navigating managed care environments.
Main Methods:
- This essay discusses ethical concerns through a review of managed care principles.
- It analyzes issues such as incentives, patient and physician satisfaction, and information disclosure.
Main Results:
- Managed care can create incentives that conflict with optimal patient care.
- Physician and patient satisfaction are significantly impacted by managed care structures.
Conclusions:
- Managed care is an established system requiring adaptation from both physicians and patients.
- Maintaining the physician's role as the primary patient advocate is crucial.
- Practicing efficient, necessary medicine while being cost-aware is essential for ethical managed care.