The Information Technology Factor

Over the past six years, a dynamic team of experts in the care management field teamed up to research how health information technology (IT) trends are influencing the practice of case management (CM). The Health IT Survey Series, conducted in 2008, 2010, and 2012, was sponsored by the Case Management Society of America (CMSA), the American Board of Quality and Utilization Review Physicians (ABQAURP), and TCS Healthcare Technologies (TCS).

In 2013 the research team analyzed the results from all three surveys, which revealed dozens of insights into how health IT applications are evolving and the effect of health IT on case managers and other providers. Trend Reports were published throughout the past year examining social media and wireless communication use, case management software functionality, transition of care programs, patient engagement strategies, technology infrastructure, caseload levels and electronic health record (EMR) usage. The final Trend Report was just published this month. The entire series can be viewed here. 

The research conducted reveals several key trends: 

1. Adoption Rates Slow, but Steady. While health IT is transforming most aspects of health care, survey findings indicate adoption of electronic applications may take longer than originally anticipated, despite an increase in funding. 
2. Integration & Interoperability Remain Key Public Policy Goal. Although many health care professionals are making some headway in integrating their health IT applications, more needs to be done to promote interoperability.
3. Moving Toward a Paperless Environment. The growth of case management and other electronic health record systems are promoting paperless environments, among other factors. 
4. Information Technology Platforms Remain Dynamic. Both in-house & vendor HIT solutions are common, but neither is dominant. In addition, although there has been a move to cloud hosting solutions, many health care organizations still rely on locally installed applications. 
5. IT Functions Expand. The health IT platforms supporting case managers and other providers are expanding with a wide array of orientations and attributes. This diversity of IT functions is both a positive and a negative. Innovation continues to be essential, but standardization is important once best practices are identified. 
6. Adoption and Integration of CM Software Applications Remain Important. Organizations offering case management services are a few steps ahead of mainstream medicine as many essential HIT functions are already available. However, many case managers still have limited access to key health IT functions with low adoption rates on some key metrics. 
7. Social Media and Mobile Technology Gaining Steam. Case managers, providers and their patients are expecting to utilize more social networking, wireless communications and remote monitoring in the future. 
8. Technology Supporting Enhanced Clinical Pathways. The ability to promote transitions of care, evidence-based criteria, and standardized caseloads can flourish with the aid of technology. 
9. Moving Toward More Health IT Transparency. Software is becoming more fluid and available (e.g., open source code), and accessible to a large array of health care professionals. This trend is promoting efficiency, transparency and comparative effectiveness. 
10. IT User Satisfaction Rates Increasing. Overtime, user satisfaction levels for CM software and EMR systems will improve, but much work needs to be done to create best-in-class experiences for providers and their patients. 

Final Thoughts 

Clearly, the interface between the practice of case management and the technology platforms that support case managers will only grow in importance. The potential synergies between case managers and health IT solutions is tremendous, but many challenges need to be addressed. Case managers and their IT colleagues must remain vigilant to make sure they are purchasing and implementing the right software at the right time, with the right functions, and at the right cost level. 

This goal is further complicated by the ever-changing IT landscape. In most cases, an "off the shelf" or antiquated IT application will not do the trick, as workflows need to be optimized, and often automated, to promote efficiency, productivity, clinical outcomes, and financial goals. 

What should the average case manager do to get ready for the IT challenge? You can start by reading the Trend Reports and be sure to provide input to your leadership about your IT systems, e.g. what works/doesn’t work, what changes would help you in your workflow process, what could be done to improve your efficiency and the clinical outcomes for your patients, etc. In addition, organizations like CMSA offer a number of helpful resources. Although IT systems can drive us crazy, we couldn’t do our jobs without them. The key to success is to stay informed and be ready to catch the next IT wave.