Cybernetic appropriateness review. Does it change physician hospital utilization patterns?
All hospital care can be characterized as either appropriate (i.e., efficatious and necessary) or inappropriate (i.e., services without benefit or services that could be provided in a less costly setting). A demonstration project combining an appropriateness determination methodology with a cybernetic control system was implemented in a study area that included six hospitals and approximately 400 practicing physicians. Project results to date indicate substantial improvements in the ratio of appropriate to inappropriate care for both hospitals and individual physicians. Evaluation research design problems and areas of future research are also discussed.
D003491:Cybernetics; D005246:Feedback; D006761:Hospitals / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008396:Maryland; D010820:Physicians; D014600:Utilization Review