The impact of managed care on children living with cancer: A view from pediatric oncology social workers.
Item
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Title
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The impact of managed care on children living with cancer: A view from pediatric oncology social workers.
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Identifier
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AAI9959168
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identifier
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9959168
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Creator
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Cabat, Toni L.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Michael J. Smith
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Date
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2000
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Social Work | Health Sciences, Oncology
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Abstract
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This exploratory-descriptive study researched the impact of managed care on the delivery of health care to cancer-diagnosed children, their families and their health care providers: pediatric oncology social workers.;Eighty-four (84) members of the Association of Pediatric Oncology Social Workers completed a self-administered survey questionnaire. These social workers were asked to compare managed care to traditional fee-for-service insurance coverage. The most significant results regarding the negative impact on children and their families point to fundamental managed care policies and practices. These policy and practice issues are: (1) the inaccessibility to specialists; (2) greater complexity of requirements to obtain care; (3) greater time delay in the referral process; (4) greater burden on the consumer (requiring greater parental self-reliance); (5) the lack of transferability of providers among managed care plans; and (6) reduced satisfaction with providers. There is an increased level of stress experienced by parents of cancer-diagnosed children in relationship to the amount of required advocacy, the extent of required telephone contacts and the amount of paperwork.;On the positive side, there are several key features of managed care, as compared to fee-for-service, that improve service delivery and decrease the stress on parents. These are (1) the provision of case management; (2) the coordination of care and (3) less financial burden on families.;The impact on pediatric oncology social workers is highlighted by an increase in the workload in the areas of: (1) advocacy, (2) delivery of concrete services, (3) team coordination, and (4) financial assessment. The clinical functions of the pediatric social worker are also impacted in that there is greater use of: (1) community supports, (2) crisis intervention with parents and their children, and (3) less on-going counseling with parents and their children.;The questions raised by this survey point to managed care policies and practices that need further study and adaptation to fit the needs of this population. This study also points to the changing role of pediatric oncology social workers and the wealth of information available to them to address the needs of their oncology clients facing a changing system of health care.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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D.S.W.
