Case Management Advisor articles from September 2003

Case Management Advisor archives from September 2003

Patient-centered focus improves case management outcomes: members set personal goals rather than clinical milestones.
September 1, 2003... When the case managers at HealthPartners work with patients who are at risk for clinical complications, they focus on helping their clients meet personal goals, not those of the health care organization. "It's important to be patient...

Readiness to change key to meeting CM goals: members should be in the action phase.
September 1, 2003... Nurses in HealthPartners' outpatient case management program go through extensive training to help them assess a patient's readiness to change. "It is important for the case managers to find out the patients' stage of readiness in order to...

Face-to-face CM is key to HIV-AIDS program: CM helps with medical, social issues.
September 1, 2003... When a member of Worcester, MA-based Fallon Community Health Plan is newly diagnosed with HIV-AIDS, the first person he or she is likely to see is Rita Wesolowski, RN, BSN, ACRN, the HIV-AIDS on-site care manager. Wesolowski works at the...

Pharmacy QI initiative ties in with DM: program targets members on medication.
September 1, 2003... As an adjunct to its disease management programs, ConnectiCare, a regional HMO based in Farmington, CT, has launched a pharmacy quality improvement program to promote the use of medications that are nationally acceptable treatment standards and...

CDC recommends smallpox vaccine for monkeypox.(Reports From the Field[TM])(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued guidance advising states that hospital workers and others caring for patients infected with the monkeypox virus and close contacts of people or animals confirmed to have the virus...

OSHA proposing revised respiratory standards.(Reports From the Field[TM])
September 1, 2003... The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has published two proposed rules in the Federal Register to enhance worker protections from respiratory hazards on the job. OSHA is seeking comments until Sept. 4, 2003, on its proposals...

CMS: 3.3% rise in home health payment rates for FY 2004.(Reports From the Field[TM])(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a 3.3% increase in Medicare payment rates to home health agencies for fiscal year 2004. The increase will bring an extra $340 million in payments to home health agencies next year....

No quick end to nursing shortage, new report says.(Reports From the Field[TM])(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Although health care organizations are using innovative strategies to recruit and retain nurses and federal, state, and local government agencies are providing financial support to help alleviate shortages, the national nursing shortage will...

Program zeros in on critical times for noncompliance: patients are treated by primary care physicians.
September 1, 2003... There are two critical times when patients newly diagnosed with depression are likely to stop taking their medicine--the early weeks of treatment and after three months when they start to feel better, says Laura Schneider, LSCW, CEAP, manager...

DM program started with focus groups: program addresses cardio risk factors.
September 1, 2003... Before Health Plan Alliance started HeartSmart Sisters, a cardiovascular disease management program, the health plan held focus groups to determine what interventions would be most effective with its targeted group, African-American women. ...

Termination of services: reaching the end of your rope: how to deal with difficult patients.(Guest Column)
September 1, 2003... Most of us have been there--dealing with the patient who refuses to comply with our treatment plan, who is uncooperative and generally unpleasant. For many of these patients, the stress and strain of their illness, disease, or injury, and the...

CE questions.
September 1, 2003... 11. Since HealthPartners started its outpatient case management program, the per-member-per-month cost for patients in the program has dropped by: A. 10.2% B. 60.8% C. 48.3% D. 24.7% 12. Duties of the case manager in...