AIDS case management: the client's perspective

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's AIDS Health Services Program uses case management to provide community-based care for people with AIDS. This article reports data concerning implementation of case management, based on interviews with program clients in nine communities. Some clients receive case management from a community-based organization (CBO), while others have clinic-based case managers. Clinic clients are more likely to be disadvantaged. Over 25 percent of respondents report having no case manager at either site, and 10 percent report having two case managers. Those who need social services are more likely to have a case manager. Between 18 and 25 percent have had no contact with their case manager in a month, but over 50 percent have had multiple contacts. Frequency of contact is positively related to having needs for social services. Evaluations of case managers are favorable, but there is some dissatisfaction with ease of access. Having a case manager is positively related to having service needs met. Results suggest that (1) efforts to coordinate care through case management must deal with the existence of clinics and CBOs as distinct treatment sites with differing clientele, and (2) explicit policies concerning eligibility for case management and frequency of monitoring must be developed.