Final answer:
The impact of managed care on the quality of care in the U.S. healthcare system is complex and cannot be generalized as solely positive or negative. Changes such as consolidations and innovations like telemedicine and artificial intelligence reflect efforts to manage costs and quality, but their effects vary across different studies and contexts.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement 'Research shows that quality of care has declined as managed care has continued to grow' cannot be accepted as universally true or false without proper context and specific research evidence. The U.S. healthcare system, known for its largely private health insurance and delivery, aims to provide an extraordinarily high quality of care and has been responsible for many life-saving innovations. However, challenges persist in controlling costs and ensuring access to basic medical care for all. While managed care was designed to offer more efficient care and help control costs, various sources point out that its effects on quality can vary. Some argue that streamlining and consolidation of services could potentially lead to a decline in personalized patient care, while others suggest that managed care can maintain or even improve quality through better resource management and standardization of best practices.
The rise of efficiency models like telemedicine, the integration of artificial intelligence, and the occurrence of mergers in the healthcare sector indicate a push towards more streamlined services. Yet, the ultimate impact of these changes on the overall quality of care remains a subject of debate among experts. Therefore, conclusions regarding the effects of managed care on the quality of healthcare must be drawn from specific studies and broader context within which these changes occur.