{"id":379,"date":"2018-04-05T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-04-05T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eccovia.com\/index.php\/2018\/04\/05\/abcs-of-care-coordination-part-1\/"},"modified":"2024-03-13T14:31:52","modified_gmt":"2024-03-13T14:31:52","slug":"abcs-of-care-coordination-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eccovia.com\/blog\/abcs-of-care-coordination-part-1\/","title":{"rendered":"ABCs of Care Coordination Part 1"},"content":{"rendered":"
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With so many terms floating around in care coordination it can be difficult to keep everything straight, especially when terms sound similar. To help, we’ve done a round-up of common terms and definitions.<\/p>\n

Community care coordination seeks to improve patient health by addressing the social determinants of health directly. This involves partnerships and even integrated delivery models involving primary care, behavioral health, and community-based providers to jointly address all aspects of a patient’s condition. Because of the high level of coordination required, numerous titles have been used to describe the coordination manager: Case Manager, Care Manager, and Care Coordinator.<\/p>\n

A case manager<\/strong>\u00a0assesses eligibility for specific programs (i.e. food stamps), enrolls clients in programs, and monitors client progress. The goal is to enroll clients in applicable programs as a means to achieving desired outcomes. In general, case managers work with human service programs such as housing, workforce services, child and family services, food assistance, etc.<\/p>\n

A care manager<\/strong> works more directly with patients to manage their health conditions and reduce the need for additional medical services. Care managers are traditionally found in hospitals and other clinical settings and often work with patients who have chronic illnesses.<\/p>\n

Care coordination is where case management and care management come together. A care coordinator<\/strong> (or patient navigator) focuses on treating both the medical needs and the social factors (the social determinants of health) that affect the health of an individual. A care coordinator has visibility into all aspects of an individual\u2019s care and serves as the point of contact for patients as they work with providers across the spectrum of care.<\/p>\n

Along with similar sounding job titles, another confusing aspect of care coordination is the myriad of care models, each with its own unique characteristics. Some of the more common ones are:<\/p>\n