Building better CMs with new core curriculum
CMSA book serves as educational guide
It’s now just a little easier to develop a comprehensive training program for new case managers, thanks to a recently released book co-published by the Case Management Society of America (CMSA) in Little Rock, AR, and Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins in Baltimore. The CMSA Core Curriculum for Case Management provides the core body of knowledge for the practice of case management as outlined by CMSA.
The new core curriculum, like the CMSA Standards of Practice, was developed by experienced case managers who represent a variety of professional disciplines and practice settings, says CMSA president Sandra L. Lowery, RN, BSN, CRRN, CCM, president of CCMI Associates in Francestown, NH. "Both the core curriculum and the CMSA Standards of Practice went through an extensive, collaborative peer development and review process by the field as well as by representatives of CMSA’s board of directors. For these reasons, they are accepted resources for the development of case management models as well as for training staff."
The 354-page soft-cover book contains 21 chapters, each authored by an experienced professional. The issues are presented in a quick reference/outline format with examples of case management practices. Each chapter includes learning objectives, terms and concepts, and updated material for practicing case managers.
Topics covered include:
• case management process;
• outcomes management;
• leadership skills and concepts;
• geriatric case management and continuum of care;
• pediatric case management;
• workers’ compensation case management;
• disability case management;
• occupational health management.
"Hopefully, this book will serve as a beginning education tool for new case managers and a reference for seasoned case managers," says core curriculum reviewer Julie A. Rieve, RN, BSHCM, CCM, CPHQ, FNAHQ, founder and president of CQI, a health care management consulting services company in San Diego. "The case management profession needs a reference book which ties the commonalties of the various practice settings together in one document — in other words, a reference tool which focuses on the tasks rather than on the different practice settings or employer preferences," she notes. "The practice is a profession separate from the organizations which employ case managers."
CMSA released the core curriculum, says Lowery, as part of the association’s ongoing effort to solidify the credibility of the case management role within the health care industry. "The reputation of case management as a valuable service is negatively impacted when case managers are in positions where they are not given adequate preparation to perform their role," she notes. "The standards of practice serve as the core conceptual framework for the education and training of case managers, and now we have the core curriculum which serves as a guide for the content of case management education and training."
Other professionals agree that the timing was right for the release of the core curriculum. "I think it was important to have this book released, because we, as case managers, have taken the time to outline what we feel are the essentials for case management — the basic core knowledge," says core curriculum reviewer Penny Burman, RN, BSN, CCM, supervisor of case management for Blue Cross/Blue Shield of North Dakota in Fargo. "Some skills, like analytical skills, communication skills and research skills, which are essential to case management, can’t be learned by reading a book," she notes, "but I hope this book will become a standard for developing a body of knowledge for case managers, and a must-have reference/resource book."
Edited by Suzanne K. Powell, RN, BSN, CCM, CPHQ, director of case management and continuous quality improvement for the Health Services Advisory Group in Phoenix, and Donna Ignatavicius, MS, RN, CM, president of DI Associates in Hughesville, MD, the book costs $39.95. CMSA members receive a 15% discount. To order the CMSA Core Curriculum for Case Management, visit the Lippincott Web site at www.lww.com, or call (800) 638-3030.
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