Pat Stricker, RN, MEd
Senior Vice President
TCS Healthcare Technologies
I recently found a detailed paper entitled, Case Management: What It Is and How It Can Best Be Implemented, written in 2011, that describes case management in the National Health System (NHS) in the United Kingdom (U.K.). One of the key recommendations was to implement well-targeted, effective, collaborative, community-oriented case management programs to meet the complex needs of patients with long-term conditions, as part of a wider strategy for integrated care. The paper was an interesting and thorough overview of case management in the U.K. It demonstrated that even though we have very different healthcare systems, we have similar processes, opportunities and challenges. I would highly recommend reading this, if you get a chance.
The article was particularly interesting to me, since I worked on a consulting project in Northern England about 15 years ago to see if and how U.S. case management (CM) processes could be implemented in the National Health System (NHS) to facilitate, coordinate, and prioritize care. The goals of our project were to identify ways to improve the timeliness of care throughout the system, identify potential alternate levels of care that could be developed and used to free up inpatient beds, assure patient and provider satisfaction with the new changes, and improve outcomes. Care management processes and evidence-based guidelines were customized to assure they would work in the U.K. system. The project was very successful and a great learning experience for me, as I got an inside look at the NHS and how it compared with our healthcare system.
Although they were behind the U.S. in terms of implementing case management, it did tend to grow. In 2001, the Case Management Society UK (CMSUK) was formed, with help from CMSA, and in 2005 CMSUK developed Case Management Standards and Best Practice Guidelines, similar to our Standards of Practice for Case Management. It is reassuring to know that CM has been successful in the U.K. and that CMSA was associated with that.
Speaking of standards of practice, I am sure you are aware that the CMSA Standards of Practice, first developed in 1995, were recently updated in 2016. This is the third update, with previous updates being completed in 2002 and 2010. These Standards identify and address important foundational knowledge, skills, competencies, and other key factors that professional case managers (CMs) need to address in their practices. They include a spectrum of CM practice settings, specialties, and health and human service disciplines. The 2016 update was done to emphasize the professional nature of the practice and role of CMs and to legitimize the evolving role of professional case management as an integral and necessary component of the healthcare delivery system in the U.S. Kathy Fraser, Executive Director of CMSA, said these updates "reflect the expanding role of the professional case manager and help define the value case managers bring to the changing healthcare system, as critical members of the collaborative care team and crucial contributors in assisting the care team to achieve positive outcomes."
The 2016 Standards reflect changes in the industry since 2010 and important factors that CMs address in their day-to-day practice:
·Minimizing fragmentation in the healthcare system, application of evidence-based guidelines to promote collaborative care coordination, navigating transitions of care, and incorporating adherence guidelines and other standardized practice tools.
·Expanding and maximizing the contribution of the collaborative healthcare team to plan care and services, improving the experience for patients and their families, and ensuring safe, quality and cost-effective outcomes,
The changes to the 2016 Standards include:
The Standards include new titles and information:
o The professional CM should screen clients referred for CM services to identify those who are appropriate for and most likely to benefit from CM services available within a particular practice setting.
o The professional CM should complete a thorough individualized client-centered assessment that takes into account the unique cultural and linguistic needs of that client including client’s family or family caregiver, as appropriate.
o Definition Changed: The professional CM should identify the client’s care needs or opportunities that would benefit from CM interventions.
-Removed stigmatized wording; eliminated problems/issues
o The professional CM, in
collaboration with the client, client’s family or family caregiver, and other
members of the interprofessional healthcare team, where appropriate, should
identify relevant care goals and interventions to manage the client’s
identified care needs and opportunities. The CM should also document
these in an individualized CM plan of care.
o The professional CM should employ ongoing assessment with appropriate documentation to measure the client’s response to the CM plan of care.
o The professional CM,
through a thorough individualized client-centered assessment, should
maximize the client’s health, wellness, safety, physical functioning,
adaptation, health knowledge, coping with chronic illness, engagement, and self-management
abilities.
o Standard G Definition Changed: The professional CM should appropriately complete closure of professional CM services based upon established case closure guidelines. The extent of applying these guidelines may differ in various CM practice and/or care settings.
o Reduces stigmatized words, e.g. termination; changed to closure
o Recognizes potential misunderstanding of termination meaning
that health coverage is ending
o The professional CM should facilitate coordination, communication, and collaboration with the client, client’s family or family caregiver, involved members of the interprofessional healthcare team, and other stakeholders, in order to achieve target goals and maximize positive client care outcomes.
o The professional CM should maintain competence in her/his area(s) of practice by having one of the following:
o Current, active and unrestricted licensure or certification in a health or human services discipline that allows the professional to conduct an assessment independently as permitted within the scope of practice of the discipline; or
o In the case of an individual who practices in a state that does not require licensure or certification, the individual must have a baccalaureate or graduate degree in social work or another health or human services field that promotes the physical, psychosocial, and/or vocational well-being of the persons being served. The degree must be from an institution that is fully accredited by a nationally recognized educational accreditation organization, and; and the individual must have completed a supervised field experience in CM, health or behavioral health as part of the degree requirements.
* Clarifies the state in which a CM practices as a driver of qualifications when an individual practices in a state that does not require licensure or certification
o The professional CM shall adhere to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations, which have full force and effect of law, governing all aspects of CM practice including, but not limited to, client privacy and confidentiality rights. It is the responsibility of the professional CM to work within the scope of his/her license and/ or underlying profession
Note:In the event that the professional CM’s employer policies or those of other entities are in conflict with applicable legal requirements, the CM should understand that the law prevails. In these situations, CMs should seek clarification of questions or concerns from an appropriate and reliable expert resource, such as a legal counsel, compliance officer, or an appropriate government agency.
- Clarifies precedent in situations where organizational policy conflicts with legal requirements
o Additional Language for two sub-standards:
-Confidentiality and Client Privacy
*The professional CM should adhere to federal, state, and local laws, as well as policies and procedures, governing client privacy and confidentiality, and should act in a manner consistent with the client’s best interest in all aspects of communication and recordkeeping whether through traditional paper records and/or electronic health records (EHR).
Note: Federal law preempts (supersedes) state and local law and provides a minimum mandatory national standard; states may enlarge client rights, but not reduce them. For those who work exclusively on federal enclaves or on tribal lands, any issues of concern should direct them to the licensing authority and/or federal law.
o Consent for CM Services
*The professional CM should obtain appropriate and informed consent before the implementation of CM services.
o The professional CM should behave and practice ethically, and adhere to the tenets of the code of ethics that underlie her/his professional credentials (e.g., nursing, social work, and rehabilitation counseling).
o The professional CM should
advocate for the client, client’s family or family caregiver, at the
service delivery, benefits administration, and policy-making levels. The CM
is uniquely positioned as an expert in care coordination and advocacy for
health policy change to improve access to quality, safe, and cost-effective
services
-Stresses CMs unique role in care coordination and advocacy
o The professional CM should maintain awareness of and be responsive to cultural and linguistic diversity of the demographics of her/ his work setting and to the specific client and/or caregiver needs
- Emphasizes linguistic diversity of one’s work setting and attention to caregiver needs
o The professional CM should
integrate factors related to quality, safety, access, and cost-effectiveness in
assessing, planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating
health resources for client care
o The professional CM should
engage in scholarly activities and maintain familiarity with current
knowledge, competencies, CM-related research, and evidence supported
care innovations. The professional CM should also identify best
practices in CM and health care service delivery, and apply such in
transforming practice, as appropriate
- Recognizes professional growth takes many paths
- Research and research utilization continue as essential
elements of professionalism
- Emphasizes practice advancement through application of
systematic and documented process improvement
- Recognizes a wider scope of professional responsibilities and
scholarship in every day practice across the entire care continuum
The Standards don’t stand alone. They are
built upon Guiding Principles, which are relevant and meaningful concepts that
clarify and guide practice. These include fundamental rules, norms, or values
that describe what is desirable. They tend to be more general, apply to all
aspects of practice regardless of the setting, and form the foundation for the Standards of
Practice. The Guiding
Principles of case management practice are:
Because the Standards of Practice are such an integral part of case management, CMSA chose them as the first topic for its initial Career and Knowledge Pathways program, CMSA Standards of Practice: The Foundation for Professional Excellence in Coordination of Care Across the Continuum. It is designed for organizations to use in orienting new case managers or for individual case managers who want to increase their knowledge in the practice.
The Standards of Practice for Case Management are a "must read" for all case managers. So be sure to find some time to review the 2016 Standards and as you do, take time to reflect on the overall high level of commitment, performance expectations, and care delivery they describe. Then take some time to congratulate yourself on the profession you have chosen – one dedicated to excellence and caring.
Pat Stricker, RN, MEd, is senior vice president of Clinical Services at TCS Healthcare Technologies. She can be reached at pstricker@tcshealthcare.com.