What is the primary goal of case management in healthcare?

The primary goal of case management in healthcare is to integrate care with cost-effective approaches. This involves coordinating various aspects of a patient's care to ensure they receive appropriate services while managing resources efficiently. By focusing on integration, case management aims to streamline care delivery, facilitate communication among healthcare providers, and promote continuity of care, which ultimately leads to better health outcomes for patients.

In this context, cost-effectiveness means not only considering the financial implications for healthcare systems but also ensuring that patients receive the right care at the right time. This holistic approach helps in minimizing unnecessary tests and procedures, ensuring that patients are directed to the right level of care, and that various healthcare services work together cohesively to meet individual patient needs.

While enhancing patient satisfaction and reducing hospital readmission rates are important considerations in case management, they are typically seen as outcomes that result from effective integration of care. Likewise, simply increasing the number of services provided does not necessarily guarantee better patient care or cost efficiency. Hence, integrating care with cost-effective approaches stands out as the central objective of case management in healthcare.