Editorial

Editorial: Case Mangers (CM) and Patient Flow Amid COVID 19 Pandemic

Ahmed S Mohamed1,3, Mahmoud Salah2,3

1Al-wakra Hospital (AWH), Doha, Qatar
2Surgical Specialty Center (SSC), Doha, Qatar
3Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), Doha, Qatar

Received Date: 22/08/2021; Published Date: 14/09/2021

*Corresponding author: Ahmed S Mohamed, Al-wakra Hospital (AWH), Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), Doha, Qatar. Email: Soliman.nursing@gmail.com

DOI: 10.46998/IJCMCR.2021.13.000303

Abstract

“COVID -19 had a great impact on the global health care systems, case managers play a vital role during pandemic to ease the patient flow and to decrease the hinder of COVID -19 on the health care system.

Keywords: “ COVID-19 , Patient Flow , Case Manger”

As of Aug 20, 2021, there have been 209,876,613 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 4,400,284 deaths, reported [1]. The health care systems all over the world has been affected by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Due to the large and rapid changes in demand for inpatient care [2]. Capacity management has a great role in controlling and arranging patient flow to cope up with the rapid increase in demand. case managers contribute to the patients discharge process since admission to be completed safely and sufficiently.
Case mangers plays a vital role in care coordination with the multidisciplinary team (MDT) [3]. Case managers are engaged on care coordination, resource utilization, and financial management to produce cost-effective outcomes that are safe and patient-centric [4].

Traditionally the role of case mangers is to start the discharge planning for patients since admission, this process will be completed through the following activities.
1. Care coordination between the different disciplines, departments, facilities and even between countries “repatriation”.
2. Assessment on admission for the potential required equipment on discharge.
3. Arrange the required equipment and supplies to the patients as needed.
4. Support the bed management team to ease admission and discharge process, to maintain normal patient flow.

During covid -19 pandemic the role of case mangers become even more of a priority, and it includes the following duties.
• The case managers had to learn the route of COVID-19 transmission, and how to control and hinder its transmission [5].
• For the patients and their families to adopt the new lifestyles with COVID- 19, Case managers have had to boost their coaching skills [6].
• Case manager coordinate with multi-disciplinary team (physician, social workers.) to arrange proper plan for the patient during hospitalization and post discharge as well.
• Remote communication application was introduced via tablets to be used by patients to communicate with their families due to the restrictions of visiting and social distancing.
• CM plays a vital role in facilitating the disposition of deteriorating patient to high level of care areas. (ICU).
• CM facilitate the patient discharge process and overcome any potential obstacles such as:

Accommodation
Coordinate with different quarantine facilities to arrange the patient disposition to complete their Quarantine period if hospitalization is not required any more.

Transportation
CM arranges hospital transportation for those patients who will go to quarantine areas or home to prevent the spread of COVID 19 in community.

Conclusion

Case manager has a great role during pandemic to ease the patient flow, care coordination between MDT and control the spread of infection in community.

References

  1. WHO Coronavirus (COVID-19) Dashboard.
  2.  McCabe R, Schmit N, Christen P, D’Aeth JC, Løchen A, Rizmie D, et al. Adapting hospital capacity to meet changing demands during the COVID-19 pandemic. BMC medicine, 2020; 18(1): 1-12.
  3. “Post-COVID-19 global health strategies: the need for an interdisciplinary approach.” Aging clinical and experimental research, 2020: 32: 1613-1620.
  4. Leonard M, Miller EA, Llewellyn A. Nursing case management: review and resource manual, American Nurses Credentialing Center, 2012; pp.23-24.
  5. World Health Organization. Responding to community spread of COVID-19: interim guidance, 2020 (No. WHO/COVID-19/Community Transmission/2020.1). World Health Organization.
  6. Funnell MM. Peer-based behavioural strategies to improve chronic disease self-management and clinical outcomes: evidence, logistics, evaluation considerations and needs for future research. Family practice, 2010; 27(suppl_1): i17-i22.
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