Which statement best differentiates case management from care coordination?

• A. Case management oversees the entire care continuum from assessment to outcomes, while care coordination focuses on organizing and communicating services and information among providers to implement the plan
• B. They are the same thing
• C. Case management only handles discharge planning
• D. Care coordination replaces case management

Answer: (A)

Case management takes an ongoing, broad view of a patient’s care, starting with a thorough assessment, developing an integrated plan, coordinating resources, addressing barriers, and measuring outcomes across all settings. Care coordination is the active organizing and communication of services among providers and settings to carry out that plan, ensuring information, orders, and transitions flow smoothly so the plan can be implemented.

This distinction matters because case management oversees the whole care continuum from start to finish, while care coordination focuses on making sure the various providers and services work together to execute the plan. It’s not just discharge planning, and care coordination does not replace case management—it supports and enables the plan that case management designs.