The demand created by managed care for efficient delivery of healthcare has resulted in the development of new positions in the healthcare field. Hospitalists manage the entire care of patients in the hospital setting, similar to the way in which primary care physicians manage the care of patients outside the hospital. Managed care organizations are in favor of using hospitalists in order to reduce costs of hospital stays. Efforts to provide quality care to patients in a cost-effective manner have also led to the hiring of case managers, which include nurses, social workers, vocational rehabilitation counselors and other healthcare professionals. The goal of case managers is to promote effective coordination of all health and social service options along a full continuum of care.
Case managers work in a variety of settings and serve a wide variety of patient types.
Impact on healthcare representatives As noted, changes are taking place rapidly in terms of the influence of managed care, reimbursement and types of practices on healthcare professionals. In order to remain competitive, representatives must keep informed of these changes and adjust their business plans accordingly. When calling on physicians, representatives may discover that primary care physicians have taken on added responsibilities, such as acting as gatekeepers for MCOs. Also, because managed care encourages the use of outpatient facilities instead of more expensive hospital facilities, physicians working in outpatient areas may become higher-priority customers for representatives. Within healthcare facilities, representatives should be aware of hospitalists emerging as a new specialty and a new type of customer.