Abstract
Due to demographic changes, rising health expenditures, and the reimbursement mechanisms of insurers in the past 30 years, physicians and nurses have had to change the way services are delivered. Concepts such as cost effectiveness and patient safety have also led to the emergence of case management. Case management, usually led by nurses, is responsible for early recognition of patients at high risk for prolonged hospitalization, readmission, a high level of consumption of healthcare resources, and mobilizing strategies to discharge patients as soon as possible in a safe manner with appropriate medical follow-up. Additionally, the case management teams are responsible for patient education in a systematic way, for proper codification of diagnoses, and for ensuring proper documentation at the moment of discharge. Case management has proven to reduce the length of hospital stays and readmissions. It also facilitates the care of patients who are overwhelmed by the increasingly complex hospital procedures that they must endure. This is an exhaustive review of the literature about hospital-based case management, its origins, characteristics, types, and how it has produced a positive impact on patient safety and metrics within hospitals.
