title: The work of case managers as experienced by older persons (75+) with multi-morbidity - a focused ethnography.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Complex health systems make it difficult for older persons (75+) with multi-morbidity to achieve continuity of care. Case management could be one way to address this difficulty. Currently, there is a need to extend the knowledge regarding case management as experienced by those utilising the services, namely older persons (75+) with multi-morbidity. The study aimed to explore older persons' (75+) with multi-morbidity experiences of case managers.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study design was qualitative and used a focused ethnographic approach. Data was collected through individual interviews with 13 older persons and by participant observations with accompanying field notes, all conducted in 2012-2013.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The data revealed four themes illustrating the older persons' experiences of case managers: 1) Someone providing me with a trusting relationship; 2) Someone assisting me; 3) Someone who is on my side; and 4) Someone I do not need at present.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study illustrates the importance of establishing trusting relationships between older persons and their case managers in order to truly provide assistance. The older persons valued the case managers acting as informed but unbiased facilitators. The findings could be of help in the development of case management interventions better designed for older persons with multi-morbidity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health, Blekinge Institute of Technology, SE-371 45, Karlskrona, Sweden. markus.hjelm@bth.se.|Department of Health Sciences, Lund University, SE-221 00, Lund, Sweden. markus.hjelm@bth.se.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hjelm
authors.affiliation: Department of Health, Blekinge Institute of Technology, SE-371 45, Karlskrona, Sweden. goran.holst@bth.se.
authors.forename: Göran
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Holst
authors.affiliation: Department of Health, Blekinge Institute of Technology, SE-371 45, Karlskrona, Sweden. ania.willman@mah.se.|Department of Care Science, Malmö University, SE-211 18, Malmö, Sweden. ania.willman@mah.se.
authors.forename: Ania
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Willman
authors.affiliation: Department of Health, Blekinge Institute of Technology, SE-371 45, Karlskrona, Sweden. doris.bohman@bth.se.
authors.forename: Doris
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bohman
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, Lund University, SE-221 00, Lund, Sweden. jimmie.kristensson@med.lu.se.
authors.forename: Jimmie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kristensson
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*; D000884:Anthropology, Cultural / Q000379:methods; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D019090:Case Management; D015897:Comorbidity; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000592:standards*; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010346:Patient Care Management / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D036301:Qualitative Research; D013548:Sweden