Abstract
BackgroundThe case management process is now well defined, and teams of case managers have been implemented in integrated services delivery. However, little is known about the role played by the team of case managers and the value in having multidisciplinary case management teams. The objectives were to develop a fuller understanding of the role played by the case manager team and identify the value of inter-professional collaboration in multidisciplinary teams during the implementation of an innovative integrated service in France.MethodsWe conducted a qualitative study with focus groups comprising 14 multidisciplinary teams for a total of 59 case managers, six months after their recruitment to the MAIA program (Maison Autonomie Integration Alzheimer).ResultsMost of the case managers saw themselves as being part of a team of case managers (91.5%). Case management teams help case managers develop a comprehensive understanding of the integration concept, meet the complex needs of elderly people and change their professional practices. Multidisciplinary case management teams add value by helping case managers move from theory to practice, by encouraging them develop a comprehensive clinical vision, and by initiating the interdisciplinary approach.ConclusionsThe multidisciplinary team of case managers is central to the implementation of case management and helps case managers develop their new role and a core inter-professional competency.
Highlights
The case management process is well defined, and teams of case managers have been implemented in integrated services delivery
Clinical collaboration between case managers and healthcare professionals has been widely studied in the integrated services models implemented in various countries [13,14,15], we know little about the collaboration that develops between case managers within case management teams
We identified the role played by the team of case managers and the value in having multidisciplinary case management teams under three emergent themes: having a comprehensive understanding of integration concepts within a practical application, developing a comprehensive clinical vision in order to meet the complex needs of elderly people, and affecting change in professional practices under an interdisciplinary approach
Summary
The case management process is well defined, and teams of case managers have been implemented in integrated services delivery. The objectives were to develop a fuller understanding of the role played by the case manager team and identify the value of inter-professional collaboration in multidisciplinary teams during the implementation of an innovative integrated service in France. The health system in France, as in most industrialized countries, is described as fragmented and more centered on managing acute diseases than chronic health conditions [1,2] In response to these dysfunctions, international experiments have integrated support and care services, with positive impacts on health parameters and resource use in elderly populations [3,4]. Clinical collaboration between case managers and healthcare professionals has been widely studied in the integrated services models implemented in various countries [13,14,15], we know little about the collaboration that develops between case managers within case management teams. To our knowledge no study has examined whether there is value in having multidisciplinary case management teams
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