Case management styles for people with AD: do the differences make a difference?

This two-part study examined the effectiveness of differing approaches to case management as implemented at eight Medicare Alzheimer's Disease Demonstration project sites. Researchers followed case managers as they implemented their core (or central) tasks. Results from interviews with case managers (n = 57) were used to construct a site-based typology of case management. An analysis of 922 chart summaries was then conducted. Factor analysis was used to construct six statistically distinct "types" of case management. These factors were then used to predict community-based service use, healthcare utilization, and caregiver outcomes. Analysis indicated that styles of case management do make a difference in service use and caregiver outcome but have less effect on health care utilization outcomes.