Managed health care: a concept not understood by rural Oklahomans.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to find out what people in rural Oklahoma know and understand about managed care. METHODS: A fourteen-statement survey instrument was developed. A panel of managed care professionals were asked to participate to provide a "standard" to compare the responses of the general public. The survey was administered to the general public in five rural communities and to recipients of the Oklahoma AHEC Newsletter. RESULTS: Overall, the panel tended to agree and created an industry profile useful in comparison to the responses of the general public: (1) 55-65% of the respondents answered I Don't Know or Neither Agree nor Disagree to statements using the term "managed care" and only 15-20% of the public respondents answered I Don't Know to statements not including the term, "managed care." (2) 25-30% of the general public answered in accordance with the managed care panel. (3) Over 50% of the public respondents Agreed that changes are necessary in the health sector. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this survey suggest that rural Oklahomans are uninformed about the concept of managed care and need to become better informed.

Oklahoma's rural health providers and consumers prioritizing rural health issues.

The Clinton administration has been busy for many months devising a new health care plan to address national needs. Over the last three years, rural health providers and consumers in the State of Oklahoma have also been actively reviewing their state health issues and concerns and determining the priorities. The purpose of this paper is threefold: (1) to illustrate why it is vital to have a strong health care sector in rural Oklahoma; (2) to review the issues and concerns identified by rural Oklahomans; and, (3) to provide a philosophical basis for possible solutions to the barriers identified.