Q&A: Due diligence for case managers

Q: What is considered due diligence as it relates to case management?

A: One of case management’s competencies of ethical excellence is due diligence: the level of responsibility expected from and traditionally rendered by other case managers in the same type of situation. If you suspect that a client (whether child or adult) is being abused, neglected, or exploited, you report the case to your local child protection agency.

If a client discloses the inability to get down the four flights of steps to buy groceries, you explore possible referrals and resources. Imagine that a client who has been in the hospital for two months has finally been discharged. You receive a message from the client’s daughter, who is irate: She brought the prescriptions to the pharmacy, and one of the meds isn’t on the formulary. It will take the pharmacy three days to get the medication—and it’s one that the client needs twice a day, such as a blood thinner. The discharge is suddenly at risk, and you feel pressured; a readmission is impossible. What do you do? Do you conveniently forget to call the daughter back and erase the message? Do you call the daughter back and tell her it isn’t your problem? Do you do your due diligence and work toward an appropriate solution?

Due diligence touches on case management’s ethical principles by ensuring that you attend to client safety. Most likely you would take an action such as contacting the physician to define a safe alternative or work with the client’s daughter to locate another pharmacy. Due diligence is critical with any case management action, but it is especially significant when intervening on behalf of clients dealing with the social determinants of health.

For more information, see The Social Determinants of Health: Case Management's Next Frontier.