March is National Professional Social Work Month, and the National Association for Social Workers has released a set of resources to highlight the work performed by more than 680,000 social workers across the country.
For case managers, some of the most challenging patients are those with multiple chronic conditions, and ensuring effective care and preventing avoidable readmissions requires coordination, communication, and consistent follow-up.
A case manager returns to work at the start of the new year only to find that two of his patients’ commercial insurances had implemented new discharge planning and utilization review rules effective January 1.
The American Hospital Association (AHA) has launched its 2019 Innovation Challenge, which focusses this year on using technology to address the social determinants of health and connect people with resources to address community health needs.
A financial assessment may be time-consuming and difficult, as many patients are reluctant to inform the case manager of the financial risks they face, but it is critical to assisting patients meet the most basic of needs.
Research has shown that untreated depression in hospitalized patients may affect patient outcomes, including recovery and the likelihood of readmission after discharge. Screening for depression can help spot the problem and help patients get needed treatment.
A recent study published in Healh Affairs claims that reductions in readmission rates reported as due to the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) are “illusory or overstated.”
