High-intensity interventions lead to positive case management outcomes, study says

Positive case management outcomes are most commonly associated with offering high-intensity interventions and developing multidisciplinary care plans for high-need patients, according to a new study published in the Annals of Family Medicine.

The study, which looked at adult frequent healthcare users with chronic physical conditions, found that successful high-intensity case management interventions often included small caseloads for case managers, initial in-person assessments of patients, and frequent in-person contact between patients and case managers.

Additionally, the study signaled the importance of multidisciplinary care. “Our present review suggests that a care plan provided by health care providers from different disciplines, combined with appropriate case finding, is a strategy that will more likely be effective and result in positive CM [case management] outcomes,” the researchers said.

The study emphasized the importance of first identifying high-need patients. Researchers pointed to previous studies finding that appropriate patient identification based on frequent healthcare use and associated healthcare costs is crucial to case management.

However, this study suggested that identifying patients based on complex care needs in addition to frequent healthcare use would likely be most beneficial to patients. Such complex care needs may include a combination of factors, such as physical and mental conditions as well as social conditions and clinical judgment, according to the researchers.

The results of the study should guide case management policies going forward, the researchers said. “All policy makers and clinicians directly or indirectly involved in CM now or in the future should consider adapting their decisions or practices accordingly.”