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CMW Tip of the week: Enlist a physician advisor to assist with complex discharges

Case Management Weekly, August 5, 2009

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Case managers wear many hats. They identify problems or gaps in community resources that affect outcomes and strive to mitigate changes. They also work with the interdisciplinary team to anticipate discharge and plan for care needs.

However, when obstacles impede facilitating the identified plan of care, physician advisors (PA) can step in and assist case managers.

PAs can lend expertise and:

• Educate case managers about signs, symptoms, and how patients might progress along the trajectory of care for a certain disease;
• Suggest possible options for negotiating resources to assist meeting patient needs for discharge; and
• Discuss financial concerns that might affect the organization.

PAs also should work with attending physicians to understand the complexity of patient needs and identify barriers that could impede discharge of complex patients.

Editor’s note: This tip was adapted from HCPro’s book, Optimizing the Physician Advisor in Case Management: A Guide to Creating and Sustaining Measurable Program Results, available on HCMarketplace.com.

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