Case Manager Interview (Few questions for school assignment)

[aazark]

Hello,

I am in a BSN program and one assignment is to gather the below information from RNs who fit any one of these categories: case manager, care coordinator, discharge planner, social worker, or coordinator/manager of special programs (possibilities include senior services, trauma coordinators, ostomy or wound care nurses, clinical specialists, nurse practitioners, bariatrics program coordinators, etc).

If I could get one or two replies, that would be great.

The interview questions are:

1. Ascertain the role and function of the position in overall coordination of patient care.

2. What knowledge and competencies are required for the position?

3. How does this position/role contribute to improved patient care and patient outcomes?

4. Are critical pathways used with the patient population served by the person you are shadowing? How have use of critical pathways impacted patient care and outcomes

Thanks.

[edgwow]

Question 1) ROle, I am a discharge planner, case manager and utizilation review coordinator at a large hospital

My role is to coordinate or buzz word, Transition to the next level of care for patients going home- do they require home care, have durable medical equiptment needs like a commode or a walker or oxygen, I am responsible to set those services up after I assess the need, speak with the medical team and ask social work to intervene if appropriate. I am responsible for giving the patient resources that may asassist them at home, like aging services, supPort groups, - communication between the medical team, the family and the next level of care providers is vital

2)Since in my role I have responsibilty in utilization review - older clinically experienced nurses do well here, varied backgrounds in many different specialties

for the discharge planner, case manger role, my background in high tech trach and vent home care was very beneficial, another requirement, you can not be shy, you will call a lot of companies and only half know what you are talking about and then need to ask a ton of questions so you kinda get it by the end of your conversations- I had no competencies, and just learned on the job, however you must have a good set of community resources to fall back on

3) While the patient is inpatient the role is to communicate barriers to discharge to the family, patient, medical team ie: patient is 80 and lives alone and does not have available family to assist with IV antibiotic infusions, this would be a problem, so when MD says they are ready for discharge tomorrow.... Not so fast I tell them, we have kinks that need to be worked out first

as they transition to another level of care

home - by setting up home care the hope is to decrease readmission rates by empowering patients to take control of their health with the assistance of the home care team or referring anf identifying the patient to case mangement ( private insurers Aetna,managed medicaids)through the UR process when you call - if a patient lacks the resources at home to care for themselves, be it lack of money for getting scripts filled or no heat- if you can assist with these resources prior to discharge or give the patient the tools to follow up when home- improved outcomes

4) IN the discharge planning mode not really, I do no direct patient care, but with the utilization review piece, where you call all the insurance companies and let them know why the patient is in the hospital and what you are doing every day and how they are progressing towards discharge, we use a set of giudelines that determines the severity of the illness and the intensity of services rendered to see if they could be more cost effectively served at a different level of care ie: acute rehab or skilled nursing facility

[aazark]

Thank you very much, I really appreciate your time and information!