Implementing medical call centers for demand management in healthcare organizations: A model for internal installation or outsourcing

The purpose of this research is to apply a linear analytic structure following Robert Yin's methodology for case study research (Yin, 1994) to the implementation of medical call center services as part of a demand management strategy in healthcare organizations. This research is critically related to the field of management because the healthcare industry comprises a major segment of America's economy and key management strategies are employed in the case study design.;The advent of managed care supply side strategies failed to produce the results desired. Demand management strategy is converging with technological innovation to create a paradigm shift in managed care. The processes of demand management cross the traditional boundaries of the healthcare system to the consumer where they live and work with the intent of influencing their behavior related to seeking health information and advice. The case study approaches research in four areas: Strategic management, Demand management, information technology and modeling techniques. Contributing information the four areas was integrated to develop an implementation model embedded in a demand management strategy. The process leads the researcher through data collection that defines a corporate demand management strategy. The data collected guides the decision making process through selection of an alternative solution and implementation of medical call center services.