Information management in the age of managed competition.
BACKGROUND
Today's information requirements differ from those of the past, in terms of both the internal and external reporting needs of health care organizations. Demands for information are currently generated by physicians, quality managers, total quality management (TQM) teams, marketing staff, financial managers, regulators, insurance plans, accreditation agencies, purchasers, coalitions, and other customers.


CONCLUSIONS
Health care organizations respond to these demands in different ways, depending on their size and type. Six aspects of information needs that would be relevant under managed competition are analyzed: standardization, linkages among data banks, risk adjustment, comprehensive institution-based indicators and information systems, comprehensive population-based indicators and information systems, and methods for protecting confidentiality of patient records.


CONCLUSIONS
Six recommendations to hospitals/managed care plans that decide to establish information management systems are made: set goals, set priorities, describe current system, identify external data sources, develop (a plan), and check back (reassess).
DesHarnais
S
S
Department of Health Policy and Administration, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 27599-7400.
Marshall
B
B
Dulski
J
J
D014487:Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S.; D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods; D003660:Decision Support Systems, Management; D006801:Humans; D007591:Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations; D008329:Managed Care Programs / Q000458:organization & administration*; D008331:Management Information Systems / Q000592:standards*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D017064:Process Assessment, Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D014481:United States