Managed care organizations: Requirements and expectations for continuing education

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.