Voluntary purchasing pools: a market model for improving access, quality, and cost in health care

Article Abstract:

The American College of Physicians endorses voluntary health care purchasing pools because they have the potential for improving access to care and quality of care while controlling costs. Voluntary purchasing pools are groups of businesses, governments, or individuals that come together to purchase health coverage from insurance companies or managed care organizations. Currently, these companies control who can purchase insurance and at what price, and they engage in practices intended to attract healthy people and shut out those at high risk or with chronic illnesses. Large health care purchasing pools would allow people to maintain continuity of care with their physicians, prevent insurance and managed care organizations from denying care, reduce administrative costs, and encourage competition between provider organizations based on quality of care, not just price. The American College of Physicians makes nine recommendations to foster, organize, and regulate health care purchasing pools.

Standards, Purchasing, Medical care, Group purchasing organizations

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Characteristics and outcomes of patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in Hong Kong

Article Abstract:

Many patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) may not have cough or difficulty breathing even though their chest X-ray will show signs of pneumonia. In a study of 267 SARS patients, only 40% had a cough, only 20% were short of breath, and only 20% had abnormal lung sounds. Older patients were more likely to die than younger patients.

Patient outcomes, Physiological aspects, Symptomatology, Signs and symptoms, Severe acute respiratory syndrome

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