Evaluating case management services for injured workers. Use of a quality assessment model.

An increasing number of employers and third party administrators are choosing case management as a strategy to coordinate services for workers who sustain an occupational injury or illness. The successful delivery of case management services requires the service provider possess special skills and knowledge. Occupational health nurses are uniquely qualified to provide case management services to injured and ill workers. The effectiveness of case management services is generally described in terms of costs and quality of services; thus, determining the effectiveness of a case management program requires an evaluation of costs and service quality.