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Does case management matter as a hospital cost-control strategy?
Kenneth R White1, Gloria J Bazzoli, Susan D Roggenkamp
1Graduate Program in Health Administration, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, USA. krwhite@vcu.edu
Health Care Management Review
|March 19, 2005
Summary
Hospital case management adoption did not significantly decrease costs or length of stay nationwide. While beneficial for some patients, institution-wide nonclinical outcomes were not improved by this management approach.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare Management
- Hospital Administration
- Evidence-Based Practice
Background:
- The adoption of case management strategies in hospitals has been explored for potential improvements in operational efficiency and patient care.
- Previous research suggests potential benefits of case management for specific patient groups, but institution-wide impacts remain under investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between the adoption of case management and expected nonclinical outcomes in nationwide hospitals.
- To determine if institution-wide implementation of case management leads to decreased healthcare costs or reduced length of stay.
Main Methods:
- Utilized an evidence-based model for management research.
- Analyzed data from hospitals operating continuously between 1994 and 2000.
- Focused on the adoption of case management and its correlation with nonclinical outcomes.
Main Results:
- Case management adoption was investigated in relation to nonclinical outcomes.
- No significant decrease in overall hospital costs was observed.
- No significant decrease in the length of stay for patients was found across the study hospitals.
Conclusions:
- Institution-wide adoption of case management did not demonstrate a reduction in healthcare costs.
- The implementation of case management did not lead to a decreased length of stay in the studied hospitals.
- While potentially beneficial for specific patient populations, case management did not yield significant institution-wide nonclinical benefits during the study period.