Hospital Case Management – August 1, 2023
August 1, 2023
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Maternal Health Reaches a Crisis Point in the United States
The number of women dying from pregnancy-related causes in the United States has risen dramatically since 2018. Those numbers may continue to rise sharply as the nation creates more maternity deserts, obstetric staffing shortages, and obstacles to standard maternity care in states that enforce abortion bans and restrictions that affect women experiencing pregnancy crises.
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Communication Challenges Affect Discharge Planning
Obstacles to effective care transitions include communication problems, both inside and outside the health system, according to researchers. When providers were asked about their communication concerns, they cited too many methods of communication, a high volume of communication, and challenges communicating with multiple providers and those outside their health system.
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Nurse Care Coordinators Are Valuable in Federally Qualified Health Centers
A Federally Qualified Health Center that invested in a registered nurse care coordination program in a primary care setting found the position provided a valuable service and was cost-effective.
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Care Continuum Collaboration Improves Heart Failure Patient Care
A focus on multidisciplinary management of heart failure patients, along with transitional care interventions and integration with post-acute care facilities, can lower 30-day readmission rates for heart failure patients, new research shows.
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Ways to Improve Communication Among Care Teams and Patients/Parents
Provider and patient or family conversations often take place in ICUs and other settings where patients and family members may experience high levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. Communication challenges can contribute to their stress, particularly when the patient is a child, research shows.
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Build Communication Skills with Patients and Families
Researchers asked parents of critically ill children what type of communication they appreciated and what types they found stressful. They learned how providers, case managers, and other healthcare professionals could improve their communication and patient/family education.
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Standardizing Patient Loads for Case Managers
In most clinical disciplines, a standardized caseload is the norm and has existed for quite some time. However, that is not the norm in case management. There has not yet been a standard, agreed-upon caseload, and that often has meant case managers are spread thin with too many patients or excess work.
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Encouraging Clerical Support for Case Managers
Case managers perform a varied and full load of tasks each day, but is each one equally worthy of their time? It is becoming more valuable for case managers to consider requesting clerical staff to assist with tasks that do not require the skills of an RN or social worker.