The Value Of Case Conferences:
Arranging for the treating team of doctors to have a conversation about a patient’s case is called a case conference.
Case conferences can be decisive in helping to make big decisions about both investigations and treatments for patients especially when the patient is complex.
Unfortunately, case conferences are not used as often as they might be. It is our job at RCM Health Consultancy to encourage participation in case conferences.
When case conferences do occur and when they involve the patient and family, they can be revelatory in terms of sharing valuable information with the patient and family to assist in making decisions. And it is the patient and the family who have the ultimate say in these decisions.
The team at RCM Health Consultancy has a track record of organizing case conferences with the treating doctors. This is most useful when there is complexity and some confusion about next steps instead of clarity about how the case should be managed.
When the details of the case are unpacked within the structure of a case conference, then the treating doctors can quickly move to a harmonized view of the case.
Our objective in organizing case conferences is the best possible achievable outcome for all our clients. We encourage our clients to engage in case conferences with the treating doctors in a collaborative manner guided by the team members at RCM Health Consultancy.
Case Study
Jay was 73 years of age. He was very complex. He had hydrocephalus which is a blockage of the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) flow in the brain. This blockage causes neurologic complications and a tendency to fall. He also has early and progressive dementia. The biggest risk was the risk of falling. He had 3 super specialists ( 2 neurologists and one neurosurgeon) involved. They had never spoken together about the case until we had organized a case conference. The outcome of the case conference was the decision to stent and fix the hydrocephalus to reduce the risk of falling. Jay’s wife participated. We recorded the call for her. She and Jay were able to finally make a decision. The family appreciated the support from the team at RCM.
Conclusion:
The case conference is proving to be an essential process for our clients. The case conference assists the treating team of doctors and the patient and family at achieving clarity about a definitive care plan. Once the definitive care plan is articulated, then the team at RCM assists in implementing the plan for our clients.
Raymond Rupert patient advocate