| This exploratory field study examined the decision-making process that employers use when considering their organization's managed care programs or evaluating managed care options. Through employer interviews, key decision criteria were examined in order to explore organizational factors and phenomena which make managed care a desirable alternative for a health care delivery system. Further, the decision process of employers regarding managed care was compared to decision-making criteria found in the literature.;Additionally, recommendations are made for further research that focuses on the mechanism for managed care savings, the savings threshold needed to drive employers further into managed care change, and the experience and ability of managed care consultants.;The major findings of the study indicate that the first consideration in the decision-making process was that of cost. Factors and considerations that became important after cost included access, quality, and program design. These findings indicate that employer considerations in selecting managed care options or managed care organizations is different from the considerations found published in the literature. Additionally, it was determined that there was minimal variation between managed care benefit programs between study participants within the Chicago area. |
