Case Management Advisor 2007-03-01

As obesity epidemic rages, CMs have an opportunity to step in

You read it in the newspaper or hear about it on the news almost every day: The country's obesity epidemic is out of control. And with Americans' ever-growing girth comes an epidemic of health problems, ranging from hypertension and diabetes to osteoarthritis and heart disease.

Bariatric surgery patients need long-term support

Bariatric surgery works wonders, but it's not a miracle cure. That's why insurers and hospitals alike take pains to make sure their patients are prepared for the surgery and the lifestyle changes it requires.

Multi-pronged program targets childhood obesity

With an eye to improving the health of their members over the long term, BlueCross and BlueShield of Tennessee has taken aim at childhood obesity.

Early screenings benefit kidney disease patients

A case management program for members with chronic kidney disease provides one-on-one education that helps members of U-Care Minnesota manage their comorbid conditions and make lifestyle changes that slow the progression of the disease.

'Urgent care' after triage not easy decision to make

One of the EMTALA-related questions he hears most frequently from providers is whether it is permissible to send patients to an urgent care setting following triage in the emergency department (ED), says Stephen Frew, JD, a web site publisher (www.medlaw.com) who specializes in interpreting the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act.

Discharge change less oppressive in final form

A potentially onerous hospital discharge rule proposed in April 2006 by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is significantly less burdensome in its final form.

Clinicians seek program to program uniformity

While the rapid growth of hospital-based palliative care programs is the good news, the bad news is the wide range of quality and standards that exist, notes Betty Ferrell, PhD, RN, research scientist at City of Hope National Medical Center in Los Angeles and chair of the National Consensus Project for Quality Palliative Care (NCP) Task Force.

Family-centered care enhances patient ed

List the components of patient- and family-centered care and many would think it was the formula for good education. The four core concepts include "dignity and respect," "information sharing," "participation," and "collaboration."

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Case Management Advisor – March 1, 2007

March 1, 2007