VA TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT PROGRAM
PROJECT REPORT – PATIENT SUMMARY
ON
Impact of Case Management

In this report:

• What is case management?
• Why was the VA interested in case management?
• How did the VA investigate this topic?
• What did the VA find?
• Does case management help patients with mental illness?
• Does case management help elderly patients?
• How will this report impact patient care?
• What can the patient do?
• Websites with more information on this topic

What is case management?
Case management is also known as "care management." The VA defines case or care management as the part of medicine that coordinates care across all settings. This means that the VA hires case managers who coordinate care for all diseases and illnesses for a particular patient. The case manager considers the patients' living conditions, family dynamics, and cultural background into the plan of care.

Why was the VA interested in case management?
The VA wrote a report on case management to find out if case management affects patient care.

How did the VA investigate this topic?
The VA reviewed the medical literature and identified articles that documented case management in VA patients or in patients that share important characteristics with VA patients, such as age and disease status.

What did the VA find?
The VA found studies that indicated case management helps patients by improving their quality of life. In general, patients with some diseases were helped more than others. For example, case managers were very helpful to patients who wanted to stop smoking after heart attacks or to help diabetics control their blood sugar.

Does case management help patients with mental illness?
Yes. Case management helped some patients with mental disorders by reducing their symptoms and connecting them with the services they needed. In general, case managers helped people with mild illnesses more than patients with severe disorders.

Does case management help elderly patients?
Yes. Case management helped elderly patients by increasing the time they spent at home, reducing the number of hospital stays and decreased the time spent in the hospital.

How will this report impact patient care?
VA patients should understand that the case manager is there to help them coordinate all of their medical care.

What can the patient do?
Patients should ask their case manager any questions or concerns they have. Patients should talk to their case manager regularly.

Websites with more information on this topic

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