PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

D C Coddington

Publications and source records attributed to D C Coddington.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Providing capital for physician group practices: new opportunities for hospitals.

As physician group practices grow and consolidate, they have an increasing interest in developing close capital partnerships to ensure access to capital. Yet as many healthcare organizations have sought to divest poorly performing acquired physician practices, physicians have seen their pool of potential capital partners shrink. Under these conditions, hospitals have a new opportunity to present themselves to physician group practices as attractive capital partners. To understand the nature of this opportunity, one needs to know why group practices seek capital, how groups approach their investment strategies, and what criteria they use to compare prospective capital partners. To build stronger relationships with physicians, hospitals should focus on turning around their poorly performing acquired physician practices and pursue strategies such as collaborating with physician practice management companies and developing new models for partnering with physicians (e.g., special purchase agreements and more advanced management services organizations).

Capital Financing↗

Integrated health care: passing fad or lasting legacy?

The breakup of several integrated delivery systems (IDSs), and a continuing focus on the failures of many of these organizations to live up to expectations, suggests that integration may be a passing trend. Nonetheless, some systems, particularly those driven by multispecialty clinics, are achieving considerable marketplace success. Integrated systems that base their strategies on delivering value-added services to patients and healthcare purchasers still appear viable. Strategies typically used by IDSs include developing primary care networks, gainsharing with or owning health plans, reducing clinical variation, demonstrating high quality, cutting costs, and developing a seamless system of care. Primary care strategies are especially controversial given the fact that most hospital-affiliated primary care practices are losing money. However, research indicates that primary network development is one of the strategies that adds the most value for consumers and, thus, may be assumed to be of particular benefit to IDSs. Strategies aimed at reducing clinical variation can be expected to reap huge long-term benefits.

Community Networks↗

Ambulatory care heads for the 21st century.

There is increasing market pressure to deliver ambulatory care in a most traditional manner, that is, with a high level of service and personal touch. The ambulatory care providers of the future will meet this demand. However, they will do so with approaches and support systems that are anything but traditional. Care is increasingly being delivered in large, integrated systems. Extraordinary service levels are being made feasible again--this time through a combination of new support systems, including total quality management task forces, patterns of care software, consolidated phone centers that can provide access from anywhere anytime, electronic data interfaces, and the Internet.

Ambulatory Care↗

Making integrated health care work.

This article summarizes the authors' thinking on value added in health care, and offers examples of the major strategies being implemented by integrated systems across the United States to increase their value and improve their competitive positioning. The research results are based on a review of published literature on 150 health care organizations in various stages of integration, and 20 in-depth case studies of integrating systems.

Cost Control↗

Optimizing primary care services.

One of the most recent and pervasive trends in healthcare is the restructuring of primary care. In many markets, the solo family practice physicians increasingly family practice physician is a thing of the past. Primary care physicians increasingly are aligning themselves with larger players such as multispecialty groups, hospitals, health plans, or practice management companies. This article draws on the authors' research into 20 healthcare systems in various stages of development as well as their own consulting experience to answer several questions: Why is the establishment or purchase of primary care physician practices an exploding national trend? What are the pros and cons of this approach? Is it better to purchase existing practices or establish new ones from the ground up? What are the pros and cons of virtual integration (affiliation without purchase) versus other forms of integration?

Community Networks↗

Costs and benefits of integrated healthcare systems.

Although forming an integrated healthcare system can be extremely expensive, many hospitals and physician groups are discovering that by doing so, they can reap significant benefits, including increased market share, more secure physician income, and better physician "quality of life," a financially stronger organization, and an enhanced ability to adapt to the changing healthcare environment. In most cases, the return on the investment required to reorganize the physician, hospital, and healthcare plan relationship is likely to be substantial.

Capital Financing↗

Health care reform: how hospitals, physicians should prepare.

As the momentum behind health care reform continues to build, hospitals should take specific steps to prepare for each likely scenario. The authors speculate about what form health care reform will take, discuss the strategic implications of each scenario and suggest steps hospitals should take, including an analysis of hospital/physician integration, marketing, services and efficiency.

Cost-Benefit Analysis↗

Understanding economic modeling aids in decision making.

With the problems some hospitals are facing in raising capital, the importance of careful economic analyses increases. Four economic models, the demand model, economic feasibility model, economic impact model, and econometric model, can all be used by the healthcare industry to perform a thorough analysis. By doing economic analyses, hospitals will be able to more effectively allocate scarce financial resources and identify potential returns and risks associated with investments.

Decision Making, Organizational↗

Diversification offers new opportunities for health care.

In this excerpt from the book, Market-Driven Strategies in Healthcare, healthcare diversification is explored. The various reasons, survival strategies, and expectations for a new venture are outlined. Although many new ventures are struggling and profits are being generated slowly, there are many potentially successful opportunities available to the aggressive healthcare system. With careful screening and selection, diversification efforts by an organization can present promising results.

Evaluation Studies as Topic↗

Employers looking for more than health care cost containment.

Now is the time to chart strategies for the future. One market which needs reevaluation is the behavior of employers toward health plans. The authors through a review of both secondary and their own research show that most of the efforts at cost containment are the interests of large firms. The article summarizes what employers are currently seeking from health plans and how they are evaluating the growing number of alternatives available to them.

Cost Control↗

What physicians expect from their hospitals.

What are physicians' greatest concerns in today's environment? What kind of support do they expect from hospitals? This article discusses what interview sessions with 175 physicians reveal about those concerns and expectations, and what hospitals can do to address them.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗