Hospital Case Management – December 1, 2021
December 1, 2021
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Geriatric Patients Need Advance Directives and Transdisciplinary Care Across Continuum
Millions of older Americans visit emergency departments each year, often for traumatic injuries, including falls that can lead to death. Case managers and health systems should consider how to improve end-of-life care discussions and advance directive documentation in this population.Geriatric Program Develops Tactics to Improve Care for Older Patients
With the goal of continuous quality improvement, a health system created programs and tools to provide care for older patients that focuses on advance care planning, cognitive decline, and how to ensure safe transitions. The goal is interprofessional geriatric care and providing good care to complex, hospitalized older adult patients.Simple Techniques for Talking with Patients About Advance Directives
It is challenging for case managers and healthcare providers to discuss end-of-life issues with patients, particularly when they are facing a life-threatening injury or illness. But it is useful to make advance directives a part of a palliative care service as well as a general part of case management with geriatric patients after a traumatic injury.Hospitals in States Without Medicaid Expansion Face Discharge Challenges
States that have expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act reported fewer hospitalizations for uninsured acute ischemic stroke patients than states that did not expand Medicaid.Case Management Depending More on Advanced Practice Nurses
Advanced practice nurses (APNs) are becoming case managers as part of a trend fueled by the growth of managed care. APNs helping with care coordination can contribute to improved quality of care and communication at discharge and reduce readmissions.Beta-Blockers and Case Management Help Reduce Readmissions of Heart Failure Patients
Ninety-day mortality and readmission rates are significantly lower for older patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction when they receive a beta-blocker after hospitalization. Case managers also can reinforce the provider’s information about common medication side effects and what issues and changes they should look for.Maintaining Case Management Certification
The world of case management continues to evolve. Those who have been along for the ride over the past few decades have seen quite a bit of progress. One of those areas of advancement is certification. While not every case manager is board-certified, the prospect of certification is a hot topic and a worthwhile endeavor.Case Management at the Entry Points: Ensuring Reimbursement Through Appropriate Surveillance
At a time when capacity and reimbursement are more important than ever, case managers play a key role in helping operations run smoothly. One way this happens is through monitoring the entry points of the hospital. These points include the emergency department, post-anesthesia care unit, direct admission to the units, or transfers from other facilities. This is not to say case managers should now add “security guard” to their extensive list of roles and tasks; rather, they are uniquely positioned to survey the whole picture, including how entry points are used.Using EMR Data to Identify Patients at Risk of Frequent ED Visits
Case managers are at an advantage when they can make informed decisions from electronic medical record data and other sources. One way they can use the data is by identifying patients who might be at risk of frequent emergency department visits.