Jul

16

Tip: Identify populations that will benefit from case management

By Case Management Weekly

When it comes to ED case management, it is possible to target certain populations for case management screening to determine involvement. These populations fall under the category of high-risk patients:

• Elderly fall
• Elderly extremity fracture
• Repeat visits for pain (back, abdominal, dental, migraines)
• Failure to thrive, frail elder
• Patients with multiple ED visits within the hospital-defined allotted time frame (e.g., more than two visits/month)
• Patients with readmissions within the time frames set by your facility (e.g., 48-72 hours from ED visit or inpatient admission, 30 days from inpatient admission, etc.)
• Patients with short- or long-term placement needs
• Patients with insurance red flags (e.g., managed care insurance plans, pay-for-performance insurance initiatives, uninsured/self pay)

To target specific populations, set up identifiers in the registration process to alert the case manager to targeted populations that may benefit from case management activities. Alerts can be set up and printed out as case manager worksheets.