Case management: a management system for quality and cost effective outcomes.

1. Case management is an effective strategy for occupational health nurses to use to reduce corporate health insurance, workers' compensation, and disability expenditures. 2. Case management has evolved from a reactive to a proactive strategy useful in many arenas. While there are differences among group health, workers' compensation, and disability, the basic case management process is the same. 3. Early intervention and comprehensive assessment are the foundation of a successful case management process. 4. Occupational health nurses have extensive clinical, interpersonal, and management skills enabling them to excel as case managers.