Case Management is defined as:

• A. Clinical system accountability for individuals or groups through the continuum of care, including negotiating, procuring, and coordinating services and resources.
• B. A method to assign nurses to patients randomly.
• C. A management approach focusing only on discharge planning.
• D. A structure where nurses perform only bedside care.

Answer: (A)

Case management centers on coordinating and overseeing a patient’s care across the entire continuum, with accountability for outcomes. It involves assessing needs, planning care, negotiating and procuring services and resources, and coordinating among the health care team, the patient, and families. This approach follows patients from admission through discharge and beyond, guiding transitions to home, other facilities, or community supports as needed. It relies on collaboration with multiple disciplines, including clinicians, social workers, payers, and caregivers, to ensure appropriate, timely, and cost-effective care tailored to the individual.

This definition captures the broader scope beyond a single task. It’s not about randomly assigning nurses to patients, which is a staffing decision rather than a care coordination process. It isn’t limited to discharge planning, which would cover only one phase rather than the entire care journey. And it isn’t simply bedside care, which focuses on direct hands-on nursing tasks; case management involves system-level planning and resource management across settings to achieve optimal outcomes.