What is a key role of the case manager in patient advocacy?

A key role of the case manager in patient advocacy is to represent the patient’s needs to healthcare providers. This responsibility involves understanding the patient's situation, preferences, and values and effectively communicating these to the healthcare team. The case manager ensures that the patient's voice is heard during discussions about their care, facilitating collaboration among providers and aligning treatment plans with the patient's needs and goals.

By advocating for the patient, the case manager helps navigate complex healthcare systems, ensuring appropriate and timely access to care. This role is critical, as it fosters a patient-centered approach, empowering individuals to take an active role in their healthcare decisions while also ensuring that they receive comprehensive and coordinated care.

Engaging in direct medical treatment is not part of the case manager's role, as their focus is more on coordination and advocacy rather than clinical interventions. Handling billing and insurance claims is another function that may be necessary but is not the primary advocacy role. Similarly, while case managers may support decision-making, making decisions on behalf of the patient could undermine the patient’s autonomy and does not align with the principles of patient-centered care.