What is Case Management? Your Complete Guide

case management

You’re driving to work on a seemingly ordinary day when out of nowhere, another vehicle slams into your car! A few moments later, you awake in the back of an ambulance of case management.

After getting settled into your hospital room, you find out the entire left side of your body sustained serious damage, leaving you bedridden for a couple of weeks. You’ll need help taking care of your home, getting to appointments, and finding the right therapy for recovery but have no idea where to start.

Case management can help.

Navigating the healthcare system can be an overwhelming and confusing process. Trying to find the best healthcare solutions for your needs without any support can cost you valuable time, money, and even your mental and emotional health!

Working with a case management organization is very affordable and can help you recover faster. Here’s everything you need to know about case management.

What is Case Management?

Case management is a group effort between non-profit community organizations to help a client find the right health care solutions based on their unique needs.

Case management also offers support throughout the recovery process. They help with transportation to appointments or work and involvement in the community. As a client regains their health, case management will help find employment.

What exactly do case managers do?

The goal of a case manager is to better the quality of life and needs of their clients. Case managers are often health service providers that assess a client’s needs and offer them the resources and services available. A case manager doesn’t provide these services but acts as a facilitator and support system to help you find the right services.

The responsibilities of a case manager will vary depending on the setting they work. A case manager working in health insurance will offer different services than a manager working in a hospital.

Patients working with a case manager often have better outcomes than those who don’t. This is particularly true for patients with chronic conditions. Case management often offers better compliance with healthcare advice and better patient self-care.

Case Management Levels

There are four main levels in the case management process designed to help case managers understand their clients. These levels play a role in creating an effective plan for the client with attainable goals.

While these levels have some order, they’re not always linear. Case managers may go back or jump forward levels depending on how well they and their client are navigating the plan.

One: Intake

This is the very first step in case management. The purpose of this step is to gather as much information about the prospective client to view and understand their current situation. The client will often provide this information.

The information gathered includes:

  • Basic demographic data such as name, address, health insurance, health history, socioeconomic status, self-care capabilities
  • Establish the client’s immediate needs including pre-existing conditions or other needs that take precedent
  • Create a relationship by meeting with the client to understand the client’s situation and how to help them
  • The first interactions with the client will decide whether the case manager and their organization can help the client and if not, they’ll offer an alternative solution or organization

The purpose of the Intake Level is to find out the client’s situation, their needs, and whether the organization and client will be a good fit. If the organization and case manager feel they can help, they’ll move on to the next level.

Two: Needs Assessment

The case manager will assess and organize the client’s provided information to better understand the client’s goals. This gives the case manager an idea as to what the road to wellness will look like.

The case manager will take note of the client’s main needs, problems, and interests and make sure they’re clear. They’ll also make the client’s goals clear to the client, their family, and healthcare providers to ensure everyone is on the same page. The idea here is to develop an effective individualized plan.

The case manager will share the possible risks and challenges the client may face as they try to achieve their goal. Throughout the recovery process, the case manager will periodically reassess the client and edit goals as the client’s needs change.

Three: Service Planning

This level identifies the specific objectives and tasks designed to help the client reach their goal. The case manager will draft a plan from the information collected in the first two levels and consider input from the client, their family, and healthcare providers.

The plan consists of actionable items that are achievable and realistic. From there, the client and case manager will develop a timeline to motivate and focus all parties on completing each task.

Measuring progress is a key to finding out if the service is working. Like the timeline, measuring progress helps with keeping everyone focused, motivated, and accountable.

Four: Monitor and Evaluate

This fourth level checks to ensure the plan is working and meeting the client’s needs. The case manager will monitor the client’s progress and make adjustments to the plan if needed. This monitoring and evaluation use the metrics chosen in level three.

Quantified data will determine the success and effectiveness of the plan. This data will ensure the client is progressing well in all areas of the plan. It removes anecdotal assessments which can often have misleading results.

Case Management’s Tools

Case managers have a variety of tools on-hand to help them plan, organize, and monitor their clients’ recovery plans. This management software offers job demands analysis and other tools to help with tracking the recovery plans of different clients.

Case management software allows managers to:

  • Develop a workflow
  • Track client progress
  • Manage clients’ personal data
  • Data integration
  • Documentation of goals and progress

The introduction of case management software allows case managers to focus more time on their clients and ensuring they’re receiving the resources and support they need.

Recover Faster With Case Management

The levels and tools of case management result in greater client success. Case management not only provides helpful resources but it offers support and encouragement for the client and their family. The help case management provides will help you and your family reach recovery goals faster and happier.

Do you want to learn more helpful tips about the health and business worlds? Our latest Business and Health articles will keep you up-to-date on the latest tips and trends!

 

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