Health Care Themes to Be Addressed in 2023

The first issue of CareManagement in 2023 provides an opportunity to look ahead and identify trends that case managers must address. To provide a patient-centered health care system, we must look to the consumer to identify trends and to improve patient engagement:

• Ease of access to patient data

• The patient’s digital experience

• Administrative efficiency

• Building in human connections

• Recognizing the importance of work culture expectations. Consumers expect speed, personalization, and convenience in their health care. To meet those challenges, I identified 6 trends that case managers must address: patient engagement, health care inequalities, staffing/labor issues, technology, mental health, and value-based health care.

To provide a patient-centered health care system, we must look to the consumer to identify trends and expectations. Consumers expect speed, personalization, and convenience in their health care. Case managers must address patient engagement, health care inequalities, staffing/labor issues, technology, mental health, and value-based health care.

Patient Engagement

Patients want a proactive approach rather than a reactive approach, and thus patients must be engaged with providers. Patient engagement leads to better outcomes and improved quality of life. Each patient journey should be personalized and without barriers so that individuals can remain engaged in their health care. Technology, including wearables, educational resources, and mobile apps, will play an increasing role in patient engagement. If the patient experience is not reliable, transparent, and easy to navigate, the consumer will switch to a different provider. The following should be considered in order

Health Care Inequities

Social determinants of health (SDOH) contribute to health inequities. SDOH are environmental conditions where individuals are born, live, and worship and affect a broad range of health, quality-of-life outcomes, and medical-related risks. SDOH impact the well-being of individuals, especially those with limited access to safe and health options. Case managers can make a significant impact improving health inequities because we see the outcomes of these inequities. SDOH include education, food insecurity, transportation, working life conditions, social inclusion and nondiscrimination, housing, and basic amenities.

Staffing/Labor Issues

We need additional health care workers to meet the demand for health care. We currently don’t have enough health care professionals, and the situation is getting worse. These challenges became more apparent during the COVID-19 continues on page 34

Editor-in-Chief/Executive Vice President

Gary S. Wolfe, rn, ccm, fcm

Editorial Board

Barbara Aubry, rn, cpc, chcqm, faihcq

Jennifer E. Voorlas, msg, cmc

Adele Webb, rn, phd, aacrn, cpnap, faan

Executive Editor

Catherine M. Mullahy, rn, bs, ccrn, ccm, fcm

Contributing Editor

Elizabeth Hogue, Esq.

Copy Editor

Esther Tazartes, MS

Art Director and Webmaster

Laura D. Campbell

Circulation Manager

Robin Lane Ventura

Member Services Coordinator

Kathy Lynch

Senior VP Finance & Administration

Jacqueline Abel

Publisher, President

Howard Mason, rph, ms

Vol. 29, No. 1, February/March 2023. CareManagement (ISSN #1531-037X) is published electronically six times a year, February, April, June, August, October, and December, and its contents are copyrighted by Academy of Certified Case Managers, 2740 SW Martin Downs Blvd. #330, Palm City, FL 34990; Tel: 203-454-1333; Fax: 203-547-7273.

Subscription rates: $120 per year for ACCM members; $150 for institutions

Opinions expressed in articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or the publisher or the Academy of Certified Case Managers. One or two copies of articles for personal or internal use may be made at no charge. For copying beyond that number, contact Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. 222 Rosewood Dr., Danvers, MA 01923, Tel: 978-750-8400.

CareManagement is indexed in the CINAHL® Database and Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health Literature™ Print Index and in RNdex.™

© Academy of Certified Case Managers, Inc. 2023