Measuring HIV/AIDS case management

Studies of HIV/AIDS case management have been limited by their almost exclusive focus on adults and by the limitations of available methodologies. This study assesses the use of a time study methodology to measure the case management activities of 20 case managers in two urban hospital pediatric and adult HIV/ AIDS clinics and in 3 community organizations. Case management activity was sampled using a beeper case managers carried, which signaled randomly 8 times a day over 5 consecutive days. When the signal "beeped", case managers checked on a form the appropriate descriptor of their involvement in case management tasks and with different clients. The results suggest that the Time Study methodology is a useful and valid way of measuring case management.