Fedrual Harrison, RRT, Chay Robinson, BS, RRT,
Louisa Quicho, BS, RRT, & Wayne Wallace, MBA, RRT
Kaiser Permanente Harbor City Medical Center, Harbor City, CA

BACKGROUND: Kaiser Permanente’s Harbor City Medical Center is an acute care hospital serving the HMO’s members in the Tri-Central Service Area. There is an out-patient case management program provided by RCPs, which serves primarily adult patients suffering from chronic lung disease.

Methods: The case management program monitors the patients’ control of their underlying chronic lung disease either telephonically or via home visits. Patient care plans are modified using a protocol or the patients are referred to their primary physician for further care or evaluation. All information pertaining to the patient visits/calls, care plan modifications, or physician referrals are maintained in a computerized relational database.

Results: A summary of the programÕs results over the past four years is presented in tabular form below:

EXPERIENCE: RCPs independently assess patients and have protocols to initiate/change/discontinue therapy.

Conclusions: A model program utilizing RCPs as case managers has demonstrated its long-term feasibility for this patient population.

OF-02-003