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Debra Kane, PhD, RN, Mississippi State Department of Health, P. O. Box 1700, Jackson, MS 39215-1700, 601-576-7122, Debra.Kane@msdh.state.ms.us and L. Michele Issel, PhD, RN, School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, 2035 West Taylor Street, Chicago, IL 60612.
An important prenatal case management (PCM) intervention is to refer and to link clients to health care providers and community resources. With the exception of Medicaid, WIC, and prenatal care use, PCM client use of other community resources is rarely reported. This purpose of this study was to describe PCM clients’ use of community resources after having received referrals from their case managers. The study was a cross-sectional descriptive study. Case managers (n=32) self-reported the referral resources to which they typically referred PCM clients; PCM clients (n=17) reported their referral use via a telephone interview. Few clients needed and obtained referrals for Medicaid (23.5%; n=4) or prenatal care (11.8% n=2); respectively 75% and 100% then obtained services. Seven clients (41%) needed and obtained a WIC referral; all then obtained WIC. Thirteen clients (76%) needed and obtained a referral for childbirth classes; 46% (n=6) subsequently obtained the service. Nearly all clients (94.1%; n=16) needed and obtained a referral for infant health care; 68% (n=11) then obtained infant health care. Most clients needed and obtained referrals for food or household items (82%; n=14); 85% (n=12) then obtained these items. Four clients (29.4%) needed and obtained a family planning referral. Prenatal case management clients need an array of community services beyond Medicaid and prenatal care. The results of this study suggest 1) case managers successfully link clients to services, 2) the importance of community resources to meet PCM client needs, and 3) may provide insight into PCM’s indirect effect on birth outcomes.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Community Health, Case Management
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.