BY DR. COLLEEN MORLEY, DNP, RN, CCM, CMAC, CMCN, ACM-RN, FCM
INTRODUCTION
Are we there yet? As we come to the final installment of my Electronic Road Trip series, I hope you have found some great new resources and revisited familiar ones with new perspective.
Continuing my review of some excellent repositories of knowledge dedicated to evidence-based initiatives, I will use the theme of this issue, “Digital Innovation,” to check out the websites for the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), National Transitions of Care Coalition (NTOCC) and the Commonwealth Fund, circling back from my detour on part two of this series. What’s a road trip without a detour?
PATIENT-CENTERED OUTCOMES RESEARCH INSTITUTE (PCORI)
PCORI defines itself as “an independent, nonprofit research organization that seeks to empower patients and others with actionable information about their health and healthcare choices” (PCORI, 2022). It commits to an “unwavering focus on outcomes that matter to patients” and drives research to be more patient centered. Truly a patient advocate organization.
A quick search in their research portfolio using keywords “technology” (339 articles) and “digital” (42 articles), gives us case management-related articles such as “Virtual Patient Engagement Studio: using technology to engage hard to reach patients” and “Testing a Program with Nurse Coaching and Fitness-Tracking Devices to Help Patients Increase Confidence in Managing Diabetes.” The research delves into a myriad of areas, including efficacy of telehealth, use of video games for rehabilitation and other topics.
PCORI also funds research. Current funding applications for telehealth for chronic condition management, health equity and social determinants of health and many others are open on the site.
NATIONAL TRANSITIONS OF CARE COALITION (NTOCC)
NTOCC hosts the Healthcare IT Innovations Taskforce to “to bring together healthcare technology thought leaders who offer new, innovative or emerging solutions for care transitions challenges” (NTOCC, 2022). Pre-COVID, NTOCC also participated in the Care Coordination and Technology Congress, spotlighting the use of technology to improve care coordination. NTOCC is an excellent resource for patient-facing educational materials as well as healthcare professional education.
COMMONWEALTH FUND
The Commonwealth Fund’s mission is to “promote a high-performing, equitable healthcare system that achieves better access, improved quality and greater efficiency, particularly for society’s most vulnerable, including people of color, people with low income and those who are uninsured” (Commonwealth Fund, 2022). Founded in 1918, it was one of the first private foundations started by a woman, Anna M. Harkness. The Commonwealth Fund was first recommended to me by Ellen Fink-Samnick, as an excellent resource while I was working on my DNP project. I continue to use this as a primary research site, largely because of the dedication to the promotion of health equity.
The Commonwealth Fund also extends grants and fellowships. Current areas of interest include healthcare delivery system reform, advancing health equity and policy topics. Fellowships are awarded in areas such as healthcare policy and practice and health equity leadership.
The International Profiles of HealthCare Systems resource allows you to learn about healthcare programs in nations around the world. The Medicare Data Hub and Health Equity Scorecard are accessible, and then there is the topic library: a compilation of blogs, reports and other publications. Again, using keywords “technology” (1040 articles) and “digital” (166 articles), you’ll find information on developing a digital health advisor or leveraging technology to find solutions to patients’ unmet social needs and on and on. This is another “pack a lunch and spend the day” site.
NEW STANDARD OF PRACTICE: HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
At the CMSA 2022 National Conference, the updated Standards of Practice were introduced, and a new standard was debuted: health information technology (HIT). This standard speaks to not only adherence to HIPAA, but using HIT to enhance communication and outcomes, for the case manager to become “tech-friendly” for the benefit of our patients, teach them how to use technology for their health promotion, such as apps, portals and telehealth and assess for the ability to use technology in every encounter.
YOUR ACTION
I hope you have enjoyed our electronic roadtrip. Tools for your toolbox and just the tip of the iceberg! I would love to hear what your favorite evidence-based practice resources are! Email me at cmsa@cmsa.org.
How are you incorporating technology into your case management practice? Make sure you review our new Standard of Practice for Health Information Technology and assess your patients/clients/members for the ability to engage technology prior to use and every time you engage with them. Do you have any tips or tricks on using technology to elevate your practice and better serve your patients?
Dr. Colleen Morley, DNP, RN, CCM, CMAC, CMCN, ACM-RN, FCM, is the associate chief clinical operations officer, care continuum for University of Illinois Health System and the current president of the Case Management Society of America National Board of Directors. She has held positions in acute care as director of case management at several acute care facilities and managed care entities in Illinois, overseeing utilization review, case management and social services for over 14 years; piloting quality improvement initiatives focused on readmission reduction, care coordination through better communication and population health management. Her current passion is in the area of improving health literacy. She is the recipient of the CMSA Foundation Practice Improvement Award (2020) and ANA Illinois Practice Improvement Award (2020) for her work in this area. Dr. Morley also received the AAMCN Managed Care Nurse Leader of the Year in 2010 and the CMSA Fellow of Case Management designation in 2022. Her first book, A Practical Guide to Acute Care Case Management, published by Blue Bayou Press, was released in February 2022.
Dr. Morley has over 20 years of nursing experience. Her clinical specialties include med/surg, oncology and pediatric nursing. She received her ADN at South Suburban College in South Holland, Illinois, BSN at Jacksonville University in Jacksonville, Florida, MSN from Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont and her DNP at Chamberlain College of Nursing.
REFERENCES
Case Management Society of America (2022). Standards of Practice, 2022 revision. https://cmsa.org/sop22/. Commonwealth Fund https://www.commonwealthfund.org.
National Transitions of Care Coalition (NTOCC) https://www.ntocc.org/.
Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute https://www.pcori.org/.
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