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Volume 19 (1)
Volume 19, Issue 1, Winter 1999
J Contin Educ Health Prof 1999; 19(1):5-15
ORIGINAL ARTICLES
Managed Care Organizations: Requirements and Expectations for Continuing Education
Susan Diamond Smith, RDH, MS
Darlene Duncan, RDH, MEd
Carol Tresolini, PhD
Rebecca Wilder, RDH, MS
Harry A. Gallis, MD
Daniel Shugars, DDS, PhD, MPH
A b s t r a c t
The growth of managed care is greatly affecting the delivery of health care services
in the United States. As health care providers move from fee-for-service private practice to
managed care, they must learn to operate in this changing environment. Continuing education
(CE) is an avenue that can facilitate this transition. A study was conducted to identify CE
needs as perceived by managed care organizations (MCOs) in North Carolina, and to assess
the extent to which they intend to provide CE for their health care providers now and in the
future. A questionnaire was mailed to all MCOs in North Carolina with an enrollment greater
than 5000 (N = 36 MCOs [12 health maintenance organizations (HMOs), 24 preferred provider
organizations (PPOs)]). Eighty-nine percent responded, with 59% of respondents providing
CE for health professionals. Disease management, monitoring patient outcomes, and clarifying
expectations were ranked as the most important perceived needs respectively in the areas
of patient care, practice management, and working with the community. Most respondents had
not determined outcomes of CE. A Fisher’s exact test determined that there were no statistically
significant differences in the CE provided by HMOs and PPOs. There is a tremendous
void in the CE being provided in the managed care environment in North Carolina. Consequently,
there is a need and opportunity for CE providers to partner with MCOs to provide CE for
health professionals. This research supplies an information base from which CE providers can
determine their roles in providing CE to North Carolina health professionals in the managed
care environment.
Keywords: Continuing Education; Managed Care; Needs Assessment
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