Concepts of Case Management

Abstract

Uncertainty about the future role of occupational therapists is compounded by confusion about case management. Will occupational therapists be case managers, or will their services be bought by case managers? What will case management involve, and will it fit in with existing multidisciplinary teams? This article describes different concepts of case management and considers how the idea has worked with multidisciplinary teams in the pilot studies reported in the literature. It concludes that case management is sometimes a development of occupational therapists' existing role, and sometimes a completely different job for which occupational therapists are eligible; is one of many solutions to improving the coordination of care; of itself does not resolve problems of interagency and interprofessional cooperation; is needed only for some clients, and sometimes only for part of their contact with a service; is one of many ways to arrange simple, practical and flexible home care; and is sometimes integrated into existing teams, and sometimes requires a new team of case managers.