On the integration of complementary and conventional medicine within health maintenance organizations.
The integration of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) with conventional medicine continues across practice settings and modalities. Managed care is of particular interest to practitioners, policy makers, and researchers concerned with the evolution of CAM integration. Within health maintenance organizations (HMOs), availability, coverage, and support of CAM are variable. We present an organizational model within which we identify factors that influence the degree of CAM integration within HMOs. We describe avenues through which CAM is currently available within the Northwest Region of Kaiser Permanente (KPNW). We also describe research methods applicable to the study of CAM integration within HMOs.
Meenan
Richard T
RT
Science Programs Department, Center for Health Research, Kaiser Permanente Northwest, 3800 N Interstate Ave, Portland, OR 97227, USA. richard.meenan@kpchr.org
Vuckovic
Nancy
N
D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000458:organization & administration*; D019033:Delivery of Health Care, Integrated / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006279:Health Maintenance Organizations / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D017146:Models, Organizational; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D013673:Technology Assessment, Biomedical; D014481:United States