Dictionary of Evidence-based Medicine.pdf

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Macroeconomics
Macroeconomics is one of the two main branches (the other is microeconomics)
of economic theory. It deals with the 'macro' or larger economic
issues such as growth in gross domestic product, inflation and unemployment.
Main effect
In the analysis of the results of experiments, a main effect is a response
caused by changing a single factor.
Malthus, Thomas Robert
Malthus was a British economist (1776-1834) who predicted poverty and
starvation as inevitable consequences of the conflict between the laws of
nature and human behaviour. He based his prediction on a model which
assumed geometric growth in population and an arithmetic growth in food
production. Fortunately, however, his prediction was wrong (Figure 15).
Managed care
In health services terminology, managed care refers to a variety of methods
for managing the efficient delivery of comprehensive health care. Costs are
contained through the control of the provision of services and the use of
formularies while an attempt is made to maintain quality of care through
careful clinical audits. The concept was developed in the United States in
response to the escalating costs of health care and the perceived lack of
accountability by the providers of health care. While there are many
managed care structures, most fall into two categories: health maintenance
organizations (HMOs) and preferred provider organizations (PPOs).
HMOs provide comprehensive managed health care in return for prepayment.
Such organizations may set up contracts with independent medical
practices (independent practice association (IPA) model) to provide the
services or hire their own salaried physicians (non-IPA or staff model).