Hospital Case Management
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A Hospital at Home Program and the Role of the Care Management Team
For many healthcare systems, a hospital at home program was a necessity born out of COVID-19. At Indiana University Health, a program that allowed patients to continue treatment and recovery at home after discharge had been discussed before the pandemic, but never put into action. That changed when the pandemic started. They went forward with the program, knowing it was the right time to try it. -
Nurses Note Needed Improvements in Care When They Are Patients or Caregivers
Nurses who were patients or caregivers overwhelmingly said they felt the need to intervene in care, a new study revealed. More than 82% of nurses surveyed said they had been either a patient or a caregiver to a patient with a serious medical condition. Ninety-six percent said they felt the need to intervene based on their medical knowledge. -
Early Engagement Is Crucial to Workers’ Comp Case Management
Early engagement with injured workers is necessary to improve education and communication, prevent problems, and to facilitate collaboration between patient and case manager. One important tactic in dealing with workers’ compensation cases and building trust is to empower the patient by providing educational resources and explaining why certain interventions are needed. -
Case Managers Can Use 6 Interventions to Help Patients with Dementia
Recent research suggests new transitional care interventions are needed to improve physical and mental functioning after discharge for patients with dementia. Physical interventions target orthostatic tolerance, ambulation, and activities of daily living while cognitive interventions target sensory intervention, sleep, and communication. -
How to Help Patients with Limited English Proficiency
As with many other unfunded federal mandates, interpretation services in hospitals face a variety of resource challenges, including insufficient staff training, too few interpreters, and cumbersome technological solutions. To surmount communication barriers, case managers and other healthcare professionals should pay attention to language access, such as interpreters and translations, usable health information (which is eliminating medical jargon), and cultural humility. -
Limited English Proficiency Can Impede the Transition Process
As the United States becomes more diverse, healthcare facilities treat more patients with limited English proficiency. This highlights the need for more effective interpreter services, especially at discharge. Care coordination and transitions could improve if health systems provide more consistent and adequate interpretation help to patients with limited English proficiency, research shows. -
‘Empowered Relief’ Approach Could Help Patients with Limited Time, Resources
Researchers offer one brief, blended skills-building session for low back pain management that might be cheaper and easier to access than other multisession options.
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Chaplains Play Unique Role in Advance Care Planning
Ninety percent of 585 of board-certified healthcare chaplains said advance care planning is important to their work, 70% regularly help patients complete paperwork after discussions, 90% facilitate discussions with patients about their preferences, and 45% reported they were not consistently included in team discussions on decision-making. -
Social Work and Social Determinants of Health Interventions
Case managers assess and consider social determinants of health from the moment a patient enters the hospital. That consideration continues throughout the stay and discharge process. When these go unnoticed or unaddressed, the quality of care declines.
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Improving Case Manager Workforce Development
Case managers need to be solidly acquainted with the financial aspects and sustainability of health systems. This comes with a steep learning curve due to state and federal rules and regulations that encompass healthcare. New case managers would be better served if they had a clearer picture of what would be expected of them before stepping into the role.