Catastrophic case management. A case study

For the best clinical outcomes, catastrophic case management begins within the critical/intensive care units. The critical care nurse can facilitate this process by (1) documenting clearly, concisely, and legibly the patient's status in a holistic manner, as much of this information will be used to translate complex medical verbiage to clinical outcomes for financial authorization; (2) providing a receptive environment for the rehabilitation nurse case manager; (3) supporting the role of the rehabilitation nurse case manager in communications with the patient and family; (4) providing professional courtesy and dialogue when interacting with the rehabilitation nurse case manager; (5) understanding that although roles are different, the rehabilitation nurse case manager provides the continuous coordination of services and resources for optimal outcomes, and (6) including the rehabilitation nurse case manager in team or patient conferences so problems can be identified, allowing rehabilitation goals to be modified or expanded. Frequently, the rehabilitation nurse case manager is aware of the limitations of the health plans or capitated financial limitations of the benefit plans. With an informed understanding of the patient's problems, planning will maximize resources to achieve the best possible outcomes. For example, some benefits have a maximum number of home care visits annually or do not include acute rehabilitation hospitalization within the benefit plans. By matching the patient's needs to the benefit services within the time frame, resources are maximized. Most people are not aware of their health care plan services until the need arises. A rehabilitation nurse case manager possesses the expertise to advocate, negotiate, and use the benefits fittingly.