The case manager in Holland behind the dikes: a hole filler or bridge builder?

The health and social care service system in the Netherlands is fragmented and poorly organized. Facing an increase in the number of elderly citizens, a more consumer-oriented and vocal citizenry, and rising competition at least in part in response to government concerns over runaway costs, Dutch government officials and social researchers have been experimenting with various forms of case management since the mid-1980s. For some types of clients, such as the mentally handicapped, case management seems to be well accepted. Many issues remain to be resolved, however, including (a) the level of clinical expertise needed by case managers for clients with complex medical problems; (b) whether case management tasks are more appropriately carried out by service providers or as a separate function; and (c) how much autonomy service providers will be expected to relinquish under the control of a case manager.