The evolving role of care management in integrated models of care

The purpose of this study is to better understand care management in integrated models of service delivery. Semistructured interviews were conducted with state- and program-level administrators and care managers from nursing and social work disciplines in eight programs providing integrated care. The professionals interviewed discussed the benefits and difficulties associated with providing care management to a population with a wide range of needs, issues related to interfacing with different health care professionals, and the overall purpose of the care manager role. The findings suggest a need to unify the purpose of care management in programs, that educational and training efforts for care managers need to be examined more closely, and that there is a need for future research to focus on the value of comprehensive care management in a medical model of care.