Productive interdisciplinary team relationships: the hospitalist and the case manager

Since the introduction of the National Patient Safety Goals (Joint Commission International Center for Patient Safety, 2005) into the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations standards, there appears to be a positive movement toward improvement in patient care outcomes and safety. Case management has been an integral part of the care team, and has emphasized standards of performance in quality of care, collaboration and resource utilization since 1995. When Leapfrog defined hospitalist intensivists as one of the three requirements necessary to be a safe hospital, an opportunity was borne to create a professional partnership. With the patient and the safety as the central focus of care, case managers and hospitalists are beginning to exponentially change the face of healthcare. This article will demonstrate the value of this partnership.