What is the primary goal of case management in nursing practice?

The primary goal of case management in nursing practice is service coordination for clients. Case management involves the assessment, planning, facilitation, and advocacy for options and services to meet an individual's health needs. This ensures that patients receive the most appropriate care and resources, effectively linking them with healthcare services that are tailored to their specific conditions and circumstances. By coordinating services across different providers, case managers help to streamline care processes, reduce fragmentation, and improve health outcomes for clients. This holistic approach leads to better management of chronic conditions, enhances patient satisfaction, and promotes efficient use of healthcare resources.

While assessment of population health is important in community health nursing, it is not the primary focus of case management, which deals more with individual client needs rather than broad population-based assessments. Evaluating healthcare policies and researching community illness are vital aspects of nursing and public health but fall outside the direct scope of case management, which is centered on individual clients and their care coordination.