Partnerships for research among managed care organizations

Researchers within health maintenance organizations (HMOs) need to create greater opportunities for collaborative research within their organizations. Multisite research will yield high-quality information for improving care. This paper describes situations in which competition as well as collaboration are possible across HMOs in the current environment. The paper considers the following questions: (1) What criteria determine if a project can be conducted as a multisite study; and (2) what population and organizational features should be considered when designing cross-site collaboration? The paper also discusses two important trends in the larger health care environment: cost containment, which is both a challenge and an opportunity for health services researchers working within managed care; and mergers and acquisitions, which are changing the face of the larger health care industry.