title: The emergence of the microstatistical paradigm in managed care.
abstract: Although commentators have argued that managed care constitutes a paradigm shift in the American health care system, it is argued that the guiding organizational assumptions driving orthodox managed care arrangements (i.e., HMOs and capitation) have been drawn from a paradigm that is 300 years old: the business of insurance. As such, traditional managed care directives have taken a macrostatistical organizational viewpoint. However well a macrostatistical paradigmatic view serves certain constructs such as the business of insurance, it is far too coarse a method for organizing and reforming the badly fragmented production processes of health care. As a corrective complement, a new microstatistical paradigmatic view is coming of age whose methodological directives are based in the episode of care, and which will ultimately allow for a more highly refined pricing and care process system to emerge.
authors.affiliation: Episode Product Group, HealthMarket, Norwalk, Connecticut, USA.
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Emery
mesh_terms: D002204:Capitation Fee / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017050:Episode of Care; D006295:Health Resources / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008329:Managed Care Programs / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015233:Models, Statistical; D020414:Risk Sharing, Financial; D014481:United States; D014600:Utilization Review / Q000706:statistics & numerical data