Case management: evolution of the concept in the 80's and 90's

Abstract

Case Management is a term that is present in almost every American health care situation. It is mostly used to coordinate community services with satisfactory results for the patient within a certain period of time, with limited resources. Through time, it has been used for different purposes. The goal of this study was to show the historical evolution of case management as expressed by the American nursing literature, in the 80's and 90's, according to its use, meaning, and application, and following a theoretical framework for concept analysis. The data was extracted from two journals: "Nursing Management" and "Journal of Nursing Administration". The publications showed case management portrayed as a process that serves a common goal; where quality and cost of care were the prevalent and influential elements along time, and its practice focusing in a given population defined as of high risk and high cost for health care.

How unique is continuity of care? A review of continuity and related concepts

“…90 It reduces fragmentation and promotes continuity of care. 92,93 Until the 1990s, case managers were responsible for identifying eligible patients, assessing patient's needs, planning to meet those needs, linking patient to care provider(s), linking care providers, monitoring patient's care participation, detecting changing needs and advocating for patient's rights. 91,94,95 The latter is almost identical with McWhinney's 12 definition of continuity of care, while the linking of care providers resembles management/team/cross-boundary continuity.…”

Impact of the Case Management Model through Community Liaison Nurses

“…The concept of case management, in general, deals with the process of care both to patients and relatives, the complexity of problems, coordination between professionals, and the intervention. Certain disagreement is found regarding this last aspect on whether it is punctual or continuous in time, although, in general, it refers to continued care [9,10,11]. We understand that managing cases in nursing means assessing the care needs of a patient and his/her environment and coordinating the contribution of different health care providers.…”

Effectiveness of a case management model for the comprehensive provision of health services to multi‐pathological people

“…Case management is a modality for the provision of health services aimed at complex chronic patients and primary caregivers who seek to respond to their needs and minimize the fragmentation of care. It is usually carried out by nursing staff along with an interdisciplinary team and is focused on high‐risk population groups and complex needs that generate high health costs (Casarin et al., ; Duarte, ; Morales‐Asencio, ). The Case Management Society of America describes it as: “a collaborative process of assessment, planning, facilitation, care coordination, evaluation and advocacy for options and services to meet an individual's and family's comprehensive health needs through communication and available resources to promote quality cost‐effective outcomes” (Case Management Society of America, , p. 11).…”

“…The Case Management Society of America describes it as: “a collaborative process of assessment, planning, facilitation, care coordination, evaluation and advocacy for options and services to meet an individual's and family's comprehensive health needs through communication and available resources to promote quality cost‐effective outcomes” (Case Management Society of America, , p. 11). In this regard, its main objectives aim at promoting comprehensive, coordinated and continuous care among different health and social service providers, improving the quality and effectiveness of interventions and reducing health costs (Casarin et al., ; Morales‐Asencio, ).…”