Many case managers face the dilemma of how to cover their own assignments. When asked to cover the duties of colleagues who are ill or on vacation, the dilemmas only increase. Yet covering for another case manager is often necessary to make sure the care coordination needs of the patients and their families are met. The situation often results in both positive and negative outcomes that the team must be prepared to handle.
Making discharge arrangements for patients leaving the facility can be challenging under the best of circumstances. But when a patient is a traveler, someone who will head back to another state or country, the difficulty factor increases exponentially.
Patients may have easier access to laboratory results under an HHS proposed rule, "CLIA Program and HIPAA Privacy Rule: Patients' Access to Test Reports," released in September.
Briefings on HIPAA has obtained a copy of the $9.2 million contract with KPMG, LLP, the company OCR hired to conduct HIPAA compliance audits. The contract reveals some details about what healthcare organizations can expect when the audits begin.
Case managers are busy people. And in an era of budget cuts, they may find themselves strapped for time and resources. Due to these circumstances, some case managers might find themselves looking for methods to better manage their workload, including finding ways to focus their time on the neediest patients.
