Implications of changes in healthcare for biomedical communications.

Payment for medical services on the basis of DRGs and other innovations in medical care are restricting the income of major medical institutions. This has resulted in decreased demand for biomedical communication services (and more cost awareness) in support of traditional educational and patient care programs and an increased demand for services to support institutional public relations and marketing programs. Biomedical communications will need to respond to this fluid environment by broadening its institutional role and adopting new information technologies.