Case management: opportunities for service providers

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Healthcare Management
• Social Services

Background:

• The increasing popularity of case managers for coordinating elderly care services.
• Case management is perceived as a key strategy for reforming healthcare financing and service delivery.
• A notable gap exists between the widespread opinion on case management's benefits and systematic research evidence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically evaluate the organizational principles, efficacy, and efficiency of case management for the elderly.
• To explore program options derived from case management principles.
• To advocate for flexible organizational structures and sensible service provision in elderly care.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of existing research and demonstration projects on case management for the elderly.
• Analysis of enunciated case management principles.
• Argumentation for specific organizational and provision models.

Main Results:

• Limited systematic research exists to substantiate claims regarding the organization, efficacy, or efficiency of case management.
• Research and demonstration projects offer some insights but yield few definitive conclusions.
• Opinions regarding the benefits of case management are abundant but often lack empirical support.

Conclusions:

• There is a need for more rigorous research to validate the effectiveness of case management in elderly care.
• Flexible organizational structures and sensible service provision are recommended.
• The rhetoric surrounding case management's benefits is not consistently supported by current evidence.