Physicians, financial managers join forces to control costs.

A case-mix management system relies on the skills of physicians, nurses, and financial managers to devise cost effective treatment plans and product line initiatives. By merging financial and clinical data, one hospital used the approach to identify practice patterns that were inflating expenses. Its case-mix management program--which consists of presenting economic studies of certain cases, profiling physician practice patterns, and budgeting by product lines--is designed to conserve resources while ensuring quality care.