Case management: meeting the needs of chronically ill patients in an HMO

Primary care staff education plays a critical role in a health plan making a transition from a case management model to a model that emphasizes close care coordination for chronically ill patients with multiple care needs. Multidisciplinary teams can help refine the system to have a positive impact on care across diverse settings: Health Plan of Nevada found that such training aids staff in identifying at-risk individuals and in developing plans for preventive health screening activities, medication compliance, and needs assessment.