Case Management: An Evaluation of Psychiatric Case Management at Naval MedicalCenter Portsmouth, Virginia

摘要

Expenditures for health care services delivery are decreasing. As a result, NavalMedical Center Portsmouth (NMCP) Virginia must explore ways to more effectively and efficiently provide quality services that are accessible to its beneficiaries at an affordable cost. One cost containment strategy is case management. This case study was conducted through review and analysis of documents both internal and external to NMCP. These documents included operating procedures, instructions, memoranda, letters, and published literature. Also included were numerous interviews of NMCP staff that provided data either directly or indirectly related to psychiatric case management. Prior to institution of the Continuity of Psychiatric Care (CPC) program, comprehensive coordinated psychiatric case management was not provided at NMCP. Disjointed care resulted in high readmission rates within the CPC targeted population and expenditure of unnecessary funds on inpatient care. The addition of the CPC program has lowered the number of readmission OBDs for its target population through case management. This has made less expensive beds available at NMCP for patients that might have been referred to civilian institutions at higher cost.