- S E Krentz: Jennings Ryan & Kolb, Chicago, IL.
This article provides a brief overview of the development of physician networks. The continued progression of managed care and the advent of managed care-based health care reform at the state and national level have escalated the development of physician networks. This article reviews the potential purposes and objectives for forming a physician network as well as the different desired characteristics such as geographic access, network size and composition, and targeted physician characteristics that are important in the network's development.