A lifetime case management model for persons with spinal cord injury

The development and implementation of case management within rehabilitation care settings are a major priority and strategic initiative for the 1990s. Within this setting, the special needs of an individual with spinal cord injury, managed within a comprehensive system of care, provide a framework for a case management construct. These needs extend over the individual's lifetime from the onset of the injury. Lifetime case management by expert rehabilitation practitioners addresses, anticipates, and manages the outcome and variances of care delivery and the individual response to a comprehensive system of care. This article describes the system of lifetime case management, the continuum of special care needs, and the role of the nurse clinician as an expert practitioner and lifetime case manager.