title: The role of case management in an era of healthcare reform--Part 3.
abstract: It is CMS's contention that this efficiency measure will positively impact on both cost and length of stay. It will do this by accomplishing all the goals listed above. Length of stay should be decreased as patients are treated more rapidly. Faster treatment means improved quality of care and less opportunity for adverse events to occur such as falls, medication errors or infections. In addition, if pre-admission and post-discharge costs and interventions are taken into consideration as part of a "package of services," compartmentalization of services is less likely to occur and patients will be less likely to be exposed to unnecessary tests, treatments and procedures. This shift in reimbursement, like other shifts before it, will hopefully result in a system that considers patient events regardless of where they happen across the health care continuum.
authors.affiliation: Lutheran Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Toni
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Cesta
mesh_terms: D019090:Case Management; D018166:Health Care Reform; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D024382:Professional Role; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care; D014481:United States