Oncology case management linking structure and process with clinical and financial outcomes

Case management programs have emerged in a variety of models. Current literature about the structure and process of case management programs has not always clearly described linkages with outcomes. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to describe a case management program, apply the model with oncology patients, and then to clarify the structure and process that the authors believe are correlated strongly with both clinical and financial indicators of quality. Planning for the case management program involved interdisciplinary inpatient staff and personnel from the ambulatory oncology clinics. After program implementation, data on patients with a diagnosis of chemotherapy without acute leukemia (DRG 410) were collected throughout 1 year (March 1995-February 1996). Results indicated a reduction in length of stay and side effects of chemotherapy linked to the improvement in process. The primary recommendation to nurse managers who are considering a case management program is to carefully decide on a structure and process that can be formalized before the program is implemented.