Case managers' roles and functions: Commission for Case Manager Certification's 2004 Research, Part I.

The Commission for Case Manager Certification (CCMC) conducted its third case managers' role and functions study in 2004. The purpose of this research was to validate the currency and relevancy of the certified case manager examination. The results of this study are shared in 2 parts of an article. Part I discusses the process the CCMC used for the development of the Case Manager's Role and Functions Survey Instrument (CMRFSI). The research leads to the identification of 6 new essential functions and 6 new knowledge areas, which describe case management practice. These findings were based on the survey of a large national sample of practicing case managers. Part II continues the analysis of the survey results and focuses on identifying the empirical activity and knowledge domains of case management practice, using factor analysis. It also discusses the similarities and differences found among various subgroups of case managers who were compared on the basis of certain demographic variables. In addition, it summarizes future changes in the field of case management as perceived by those who participated in the study.