Creating a practice partnership: a clinical application of case management.

Using the framework of case management, a team partnership was developed for the head and neck surgery population undergoing reconstruction with free tissue transfers ("free flaps"). The focus of the partnership was to improve care coordination from surgery scheduling through discharge. Practice agreements were negotiated, pre-printed on a clinical path, and further supported by pre-printed physician's orders, teaching materials, and a variance tracking tool. In the 6 months since implementing this partnership, patients have recovered more quickly, reducing length of stay by 25% and costs by 15% to 20%.