title: Patient retention issues in Medicare risk-contracting HMOs.
abstract: Positive patient-physician interaction is essential to a successful practice. Positive patient-practice experiences may also result in decreased medical liability costs. However, most medical practices are not organized according to this mind-set. As managed care physicians in either closely linked medical groups or loose affiliations consider signing Medicare risk contracts, the importance of a "patient-focused" orientation is critical for success. Measured patient retention is the positive outcome of such efforts.
authors.affiliation: Fallon Community Health Plan, Worcester, MA, USA.
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Mills
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003284:Contract Services / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration; D004496:Education, Continuing; D006279:Health Maintenance Organizations / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D016345:Medicare Part B / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017146:Models, Organizational; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D018802:Patient-Centered Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D020414:Risk Sharing, Financial; D014481:United States