What are the three aspects of Case Management?

• A. Diagnosing and treating diseases; Prescribing medications; Performing surgeries
• B. Promoting cost-effective care and treatment; Coordinating healthcare services; Developing strategies to reduce emergency department visits and hospitalizations
• C. Gathering data; Designing programs; Publishing results
• D. Only emergency services; None; All

Answer: (B)

The idea behind case management is to keep a patient’s care organized, efficient, and focused on reducing unnecessary acute care use. The three aspects captured here are coordinating healthcare services, promoting cost-effective care and treatment, and developing strategies to reduce emergency department visits and hospitalizations.

Coordinating healthcare services means linking all parts of a patient’s care—referrals, follow-up appointments, tests, and communications between different providers—so the patient experiences seamless, continuous support and a clear, shared plan. This often involves the case manager helping the patient navigate the system, arrange timely services, and ensure everyone is on the same page.

Promoting cost-effective care and treatment focuses on choosing appropriate, evidence-based interventions while avoiding duplication or unnecessary procedures. It’s about using resources wisely to achieve better outcomes without waste, which is a core goal of case management.

Developing strategies to reduce emergency department visits and hospitalizations involves proactive, preventive actions such as timely follow-ups after discharge, home visits when possible, medication reconciliation, patient education, and addressing barriers like transportation or social determinants of health. By anticipating needs and coordinating supports, case management aims to keep people healthier in the right setting and out of avoidable crisis care.

In CHW practice, this aligns with helping clients access services, understand their care plans, and connect to community resources, all to improve outcomes and reduce costly emergency care.