An acuity-based case weight system for equitable clinician case loads.
Equal numbers of patients in various clinicians' case loads does not mean that the work is equitable. Case management is a complex skill home care clinicians can gradually master, and high acuity patients need the skills of experienced nurses. This article describes one agency's three-tiered case weight system based upon the patient's needs. Using this case weight system has resulted in equitable case loads and assurance that patients are assigned clinicians who best meet their needs.
Ferrant
Alice
A
Mercer Street Friends Home Health Care, 222 North Hermitage Avenue, Trenton, NJ 08618, USA. alice0614@aol.com
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D019090:Case Management / Q000592:standards*; D002983:Clinical Competence; D005260:Female; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D010361:Patients / Q000145:classification*; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016526:Workload