Download or read book Controlling Costs and Changing Patient Care? written by Institute of Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 1989-01-01 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Utilization management (UM) has become a strong trend in health care cost containment. Under UM, some decisions are not strictly made by the doctor and patient alone. Instead, they are now checked by a reviewer reporting to an employer or other paying party who asks whether or not the proposed type or location of care is medically necessary or appropriate. This book presents current findings about how UM is faring in practice and how it compares with other cost containment approaches, with recommendations for improving UM program administration and clinical protocols and for conducting further research.