If you don’t currently use occupational case managers to handle your total healthcare services, it’s time to consider it because of increasing complexity and cost. Case management is a process of coordinating healthcare services to achieve quality care delivered in a cost-effective manner. The process integrates several components–assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation.

Case managers understand occupational health and safety, return-to-work issues, healthcare delivery systems, payer systems, and laws and regulations. They are able to develop cost-containment strategies to offset the skyrocketing costs of basic healthcare premiums and workers’ compensation.

“Because compliance is critical for successful patient outcomes, it is important to develop a plan with the patient, treating team, and case manager,” explains M. W., M.D, medical director of OccNet.  OccNet is the occupational health service of the Health Alliance and provides case management services.  Treatment plans include keeping appointments, taking medications, promoting healthy habits, and following directions. According to G. W., or the Academy of Certified Case Managers (ACCM), “Most people have trouble completing seven to 10 days of oral antibiotics . . . Yet, we expect patients with chronic conditions who are on multiple medications—perhaps for the rest of their life—to do it right everyday.”

If you decide to hire a case manager make sure the person is continually striving to meet the goals of you company and the patient. The ACCM suggests the following for patient compliance:

• Include the family and patient in developing an adherence plan
• Make sure the patient understands the disease
• Assess the patient’s commitment to therapy
• Determine that financial issues have been resolved
• Educate the patient about possible lifestyle changes

According to the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses, today’s proactive case managers are especially cognizant of your needs as an employer, desired outcomes, priorities, and costs. Most important, case managers are familiar with various service options that will help achieve these goals while providing high-quality healthcare services to your valued employees.

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