MANAGED CARE - A CREDO FOR ETHICAL MANAGED CARE IN MENTAL-HEALTH PRACTICE

Dr. Sabin's Introduction: This column will address clinical, manageria l, and ethical issues in the rapidly evolving area of managed care. Fo r purposes of the column, the term ''managed care''-which is used so b roadly that it verges on losing all specificity-will refer to systems in which a defined population receives its clinical care under a speci fied budget with clear accountability for clinical and financial resul ts. By this definition, managed care occurs in all sectors-public, not -for-profit, and private. As indicated in the credo that follows, the fundamental premise of the column is that managed care can be conducte d in a clinically and socially responsible manner. The column will app roach managed care in a spirit of quality improvement by seeking to pr esent examples of constructive developments in the field.