Case Management in Health Care: A Practical Guide

Case Management in Health Care is a comprehensive reference designed to educate nurses and other health care professionals on the processes involved in case management. This reference discusses interventions and collaboration efforts that are necessary to move the patient through the continuum of care. It explores the changes in case management and it explains the financial, legal, and service aspects of this field. It is appropriate for nursing students (undergraduate and graduate) as well as for practicing case managers.

• Focuses on the most current topics that are based on the changes and trends in case management and health care.
• Addresses health care policies, laws and regulations as they apply to a case manager's day-to-day responsibilities.
• Presents the basics on health insurance and the alternate funding programs equipping case managers to become active advocates for their patients.
• Explores the pitfalls and barriers frequently encountered when locating appropriate patient resources, and explains how to overcome them.
• Discusses various levels of care and treatment settings outside the acute care setting (ex. skilled nursing facility and home health care).
• Explains the increasing number of case management models that are being used in various clinical settings.
• Compares the roles and responsibilities of a utilization manager and a case manager, emphasizing the need for their collective efforts in providing quality patient care.

• Case Management and Technology, focuses on systems support, technology tools and resources, meaningful reporting, using the Internet, and video conferencing in relation to effectively serving patients.
• Quality Management for Case Managers, covers guidelines for quality management, organization standards and practices, accountability, increasing customer satisfaction, and measuring utilization and costs.
• Audits, identifies auditing entities and discusses development of successful competency programs to meet regulatory standards specific to case management.
• The Importance of Credentialing, discusses the significance of credentialing as the start of the quality process of an organization.
• Discusses new modalities for case management such as demand management, care management, drug state management, and disability management.
• Addresses the complexity of the moral and ethical issues facing today's case managers.
• Includes content on worker's compensation, on-site vs. telephonic case management, and tools to improve the case management practice.
• Tips and training tools for care givers are updated to include agencies, literature, and various web sites dedicated to care giving.
• Expanded content on legal and legislative issues such as the Balanced Budget Act (BBA), Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA), and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA).
• Provides current coverage of funding and insurance programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, Children's health coverage, Veteran's benefits, and TRICARE.
• Content in Complex Care and Post Acute Care units have been expanded to include the latest advances in emergency care, hospice, and managing geriatric, transplant, mentally ill patients.
• Each chapter begins with Objectives that list key points and focus the reader on essential content to better prepare them for learning.
• Suggested Websites and Resources listed at the end of chapter provide reader with opportunity for further study and research.
• End of Chapter Exercises (1-5 questions) promote active learning and application of pertinent content.