| This dissertation critically examines a disease management program created by a hospital to serve asthmatic Medicaid patients. It argues that this program produces several related outcomes affecting both the organization and its clients. In the latter case, the program discursively produces a certain kind of patient identity: a client/patient who “appropriately” consumes health care resources as a form of self-discipline. I argue that, while this program is successful in positioning the organization during a period of severe industry and market turbulence, it nonetheless creates resistance in patients/clients. This resistance demonstrates the enduring tension between ethics and profitability faced by contemporary organizations. |
