Case Management

Weekly Top 10 meeting reduces LOS

Case Management Monthly, October 1, 2009

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As a next step in development of our model, we identified that our case managers needed additional clinical and administrative support to facilitate problem-solving related to complex cases, particularly for those patients whose hospital stay was prolonged or problematic. From this, our weekly “Top 10” meetings were born.

The Top 10 is an interdisciplinary review of the 10 patients with the longest inpatient LOS at that time. In addition, case managers are free to present for discussion any unusually challenging or problematic cases for which they would like input or assistance from the group. Our goals are to:
• Provide tangible administrative and clinical support for case managers
• Control the overall mean LOS by identifying actual and potential barriers to discharge and proactively intervening to avert discharge delays
• Proactively identify the need for crucial conversations with patients, families, and providers regarding resource utilization, ethical concerns, and palliative versus futile care at the end of life
• Provide opportunities for professional development of case managers

 

This is an excerpt from a member only article. To read the article in its entirety, please login or subscribe to Case Management Monthly.

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