Case management is a crucial pillar of health care, a resounding point raised by health workers from various disciplines in ACMA’s 2019 Care National Conference. The conference tackled best practices of case management, such as integrating social determinants into health care and optimizing health insurance.
Synergizing Care
Healthcare rarely exists in a vacuum as patients undergo their medical journeys from the emergency room to aftercare. Frequent changing of hands is standard, with the patient receiving care from one specialist to another. Moreso, other needs such as psychosocial and spiritual are also essential aspects of patient care.
Case management comes in as a holistic synergy of these various services that healthcare providers can give to patients. Case studies presented in the conference showed actual scenarios where case management made a difference for both patients and health providers. Patient-centric care and research into social health determinants became vital topics in the conference.
Health’s Social Dimension
Health is not only a medical concept but also rooted in the social gears of the real world. Participants of case management conferences reflected the diversity of the discipline in terms of their origins and specialization.
Given the rampant use of medical jargon in healthcare, professionals emphasized educating patients should know the treatment they will be receiving. Similarly, pointers on how to cultivate a healthy mental headspace for patients should be available. A roundtable on utilization management also specifically addressed how health insurance companies can further help patients manage healthcare costs.
A Meeting of Minds
Case management is a multidisciplinary field. Exchange of new insights and knowledge between stakeholders pushes the field’s standards further. Conferences are also an excellent platform for expanding networks and sharing practical information between clinical specialists and professionals from other areas such as health insurance providers, psychologists, social workers, data scientists, and even priests.
From this stage, they bring this insight back home to share with their colleagues. With all of these learnings from the conference, healthcare can thus become a seamless experience for patients who are otherwise going through a difficult journey.