By Patricia Noonan, MBA, RN, CCM, FCM
In June 2024, CMSA released two important Fact Sheets to the case management community at the CMSA Annual Conference held in Providence, Rhode Island. CMSA’s Fact Sheets address case management, who professional case managers are, the practice of case management, and the positive impact of case management on the health care system.
These two crucial Fact Sheets were produced by the CMSA Public Information Committee, which consists of case management professionals and leaders who are CMSA member volunteers from across the country. In January 2024, the Public Information Committee set out to achieve its year one goal of creating the first Fact Sheet on case management to educate employers, physicians, and all other healthcare providers on the importance of case management. The Public Information Committee soon determined it was important to create a second Fact Sheet written specifically for consumers with attention to health literacy.
What is a Fact Sheet?
A Fact Sheet is a short document to communicate important information on a topic to a specific audience. Fact Sheets are used as marketing and educational tools for businesses and organizations to publish critical information in an easy-to-read, condensed format using graphics, icons, tables, and diagrams to highlight key facts to an audience. An essential element of a Fact Sheet is to convey a central message in the heading, followed by subheadings organized to include small pieces of relevant information connected to the topic and written in language that considers the specific audience. Today, Fact Sheets are used by several healthcare organizations, including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to publish important healthcare information in a condensed format.
The Impact of Case Management on the Healthcare System Fact Sheet is written for all healthcare providers, including physicians, employers, and healthcare professionals. This Fact Sheet addresses who professional case managers are and communicates core guiding principles of case management practice based on CMSA’s Standards of Practice for Case Management. The Fact Sheet includes several factors supporting the demand for case managers and concludes with the positive impact on the current healthcare system with findings from research studies on key indicators. This five-page Fact Sheet highlights the following essential information:
- Introduction to Case Management
- What is Case Management?
- Who Are Professional Case Managers?
- About Case Management Practice
- Guiding Principles Followed by Case Managers
- Case Management Practice Settings
- Populations Served by Case Managers
- Services Provided by Case Managers
- Factors That Support Demand for Case Managers
- The Positive Impact of Case Management on the Healthcare System
- CM Models Evidence
The Case Management At-A-Glance Fact Sheet is written for consumers to educate them and their caregivers of the benefits of working with a case manager and includes examples of how case managers have helped others. This one-page Fact Sheet highlights the following key information:
- What Is Case Management?
- Who Are Case Managers?
- How Has a Case Manager Helped Others?
- How Can a Case Manager Help Me?
- How Can I Find a Case Manager?
Call to Action
Despite numerous published studies showing evidence of improved outcomes by case management programs and many articles on the value of professional case management practice which supports the goals of value-based care, healthcare stakeholders and the general public do not have a clear understanding of who case managers are, the practice of professional case management, and the positive impact of case management on the healthcare system. Therefore, it’s imperative for all of us in the case management community to continue to raise awareness of the value case managers add to patients, clients, caregivers, and our current healthcare system.
Here are ways you can join CMSA’s Public Information Committee to raise awareness on these essential CMSA Fact Sheets:
- Share the Fact Sheets in your workplace with your leaders and colleagues
- Ask if your workplace can share the Fact Sheets in an upcoming newsletter
- Share the consumer Fact Sheet with your patients, clients, caregivers
- Share the consumer Fact Sheet with your family and friends
- Participate in CMSA’s Social Media Campaign to raise awareness on the Fact Sheets
Thank you for sharing these important CMSA Fact Sheets available at www.cmsa.org
The Impact of Case Management on the Healthcare System
Case Management At-A-Glance
References
1. Case Management Society of America. (2024). The Impact of Case Management on the Healthcare System [Fact Sheet]. https://cmsa.org/the-impact-of-case-management-on-the-healthcare-system-3/
2. Case Management Society of America. (2024). Case Management At-A-Glance [Fact Sheet].
3. Case Management Society of America. Standards of Practice for Case Management. (2022). https://cmsa.org/sop22/
4. Case Management Society of America. Promoting successful outcomes in making care primary: the role and value of case management. [position paper]. June 2024.
5. Cubon-Bell, V. (2019). Teaching – Fact Sheets. Kent State University Center for Teaching and Learning. https://www.kent.edu/ctl/fact-sheets#
6. What is a Fact Sheet? TemplateLab. https://templatelab.com/fact-sheet-templates/#What_is_a_Fact_Sheet
Bio: Patricia Noonan, MBA, RN, CCM, FCM, is a passionate advocate for case management practice with over twenty years’ experience in case management leadership roles. She has served on the CMSA Board and currently serves as Chair, CMSA Public Information Committee; Director on CMSA Foundation Board; member on the CMSA Finance Committee; and member on the CMSNE Membership Committee. She is experienced in population health: ACO, Medicare, Medicaid, Commercial and Employee care management program development. She has published articles and presented on important case management topics. Patricia is the recipient of the CMSA CMOY Award in 2021, CMSA AOSE Award in 2017, and was recognized as a CMSA Case Management Fellow (FCM) in 2022.