A patient care manager oversees a clinical team and acts as an advocate for improving patient outcomes. They coordinate communication between healthcare professionals and ensure patients receive adequate care at home. Regular hours and nursing certification are required.
A patient care manager oversees a clinical team. This team member protects patient health and safety and acts as an advocate for improving patient outcomes. The work can take place in hospital, clinical, and home care settings, depending on the need, and typically requires a nursing certification, experience, and the ability to work well with large and potentially diverse groups of people. Compensation can vary, and people may be eligible for higher salaries if they hold additional certifications.
People who require complex medical care, particularly if they need to be hospitalized or need to return regularly for treatment of a condition, may get better results if a patient care manager is assigned to the case. This healthcare professional interacts with all members of the care team to keep the lines of communication open. Doctors and nurses involved in the case report to the patient care manager, who coordinates the information and ensures that everyone is aware of important facts about the patient.
The patient care manager can bring team members’ attention to health issues that are not adequately addressed, possible drug interactions and complications related to the patient’s condition, and other issues that may arise in case management. Part of this work involves reducing the risk of duplicate procedures and tests, for example, if a cardiologist orders an EKG and a surgeon preparing for a procedure also asks to check the patient’s heart health. The patient care manager also tries to ensure that nothing is treated and that he or she receives prompt treatment for new symptoms, side effects, and other concerns.
This may include working not only with healthcare professionals, but also with family members, social workers and others who may interact with the patient. Continuity and consistency of healthcare is important, but so is ensuring that patients receive adequate nutrition and care at home and in other settings. Patient care managers can help patients access affordable housing, refer them to nutritionists to help with meal planning, and connect their clients with cleaning services and other services to help them at home while they are sick.
Hours tend to be pretty regular as patient care managers need to be available for meetings during regular business hours. In the event of an emergency, when the care manager is not on call, healthcare providers can provide an update later when the patient is stable. This can be helpful for skilled healthcare professionals who want to maintain a work-life balance and prefer jobs with scheduled, predictable hours that are easier to plan.
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