Preventive medicine training and managed care: Current status and models for the future

The specialty of preventive medicine and managed care organizations share many common philosophies. Ties have been established between these two groups, but opportunities exist for strengthening and expanding relationships. I identified six preventive medicine residencies with strong rotations at managed care organizations and surveyed them for basic information regarding their affiliations. Six medical directors of managed care organizations who are board-certified in preventive medicine were also contacted and surveyed. Successful relationships between preventive medicine residencies and managed care organizations include (1) commitment to training in a managed care environment by the preventive medicine residency, (2) large, well-established managed care organizations, and (3) commitment by the managed care organization to preventive medicine, evidenced by a department of preventive medicine or a preventive medicine physician on staff. Issues related to the involvement of managed care in preventive medicine training include the uncertain interest of managed care organizations in graduate medical education and the growing need for managed care organizations to attain accreditation status that includes standards for preventive services. Preventive medicine and managed care should increase their ties in the future. Medical Subject Headings (MeSH): preventive medicine, managed care, health maintenance organization, graduate medical education, training, accreditation.