Lippincott's case management : managing the process of patient care最新文献

Dramatic medical and technological advances over the past 15 years have resulted in the survival into adulthood of children with chronic health conditions. As this population subset has increased, the demand of caring for these children in the managed care arena has become challenging from a clinical, fiscal, and member satisfaction perspective. A disease management program was designed for children, ages birth through age 18, identified as having special needs at the time of birth or at any point throughout childhood related to disease processes such as diabetes, sickle cell disease, genetic aberrations, or the multiple complications of extreme prematurity. Components of the program included identification of the population, coordinated risk assessment, and ongoing case management interventions. Most important, outcome indicators were tracked to demonstrate program effectiveness. The formulation and function of a dedicated disease management database is also discussed.

This study was planned in an experimental manner to use the "case management model" for the care of patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI), and to determine the effect of this method on the quality of care, patient and nurse satisfaction, and the patient's inpatient duration at the hospital. Data for the study were obtained using the Patient Information Form, Acute MI Care Protocol (Clinical Pathway), Care Monitoring Scale and Scoring Form, Acute MI Nursing Care Plan, Patient Education Booklet, and a Patient and Nurse Satisfaction Evaluation Survey. Evaluation results showed that the patient group where the case management model was used had increased quality of care, decreased inpatient stay, and increased satisfaction of the patient and the nurse. Therefore, it was suggested that the case management model be used in healthcare institutions in Turkey, care protocols for various diagnoses be developed, and nurses should be trained as case managers to increase the quality of care at healthcare institutions.

Immigrants are an integral part of the history and diversity of the United States. Now more than ever, this growing population is facing a major challenge related to the widening gap in overall healthcare access and health insurance coverage. This gap raises concerns related to access, economics, fear of detection, and cultural/language barriers to care, which extend beyond the individual person to affect the community at large. This is particularly true for those immigrants who are residing in this country illegally. Healthcare providers, in general and hospitals in particular, face many challenges in providing care to this group. As the immigrant population continues to grow, the case management community will face an ongoing challenge to expand and refine its knowledge base and incorporate key competencies into its practice patterns in order to ensure access to and delivery of healthcare to this largely underserved group. This article specifically addresses the undocumented population, and identifies opportunities to encourage and promote access to healthcare while providing effective care management interventions.

Since the introduction of the National Patient Safety Goals (Joint Commission International Center for Patient Safety, 2005) into the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations standards, there appears to be a positive movement toward improvement in patient care outcomes and safety. Case management has been an integral part of the care team, and has emphasized standards of performance in quality of care, collaboration and resource utilization since 1995. When Leapfrog defined hospitalist intensivists as one of the three requirements necessary to be a safe hospital, an opportunity was borne to create a professional partnership. With the patient and the safety as the central focus of care, case managers and hospitalists are beginning to exponentially change the face of healthcare. This article will demonstrate the value of this partnership.