How often should a care plan be reviewed in case management?

A care plan should be reviewed every 30 to 90 days to ensure that it remains relevant and effective in addressing the needs of the patient. Regular reviews facilitate the assessment of the patient’s progress and the effectiveness of the interventions in place. This timeframe allows case managers to make necessary adjustments based on changes in the patient's condition, needs, or preferences, as well as to address any new challenges that may arise.

The 30 to 90-day window is generally considered best practice in case management, as it strikes a balance between maintaining continuity of care and allowing enough time for meaningful progress to be observed. Frequent enough reviews help in monitoring the effectiveness of the care plan and ensure that resources are being utilized efficiently.

In contrast, reviewing the care plan every week may be excessive and impractical for many cases, potentially overwhelming both the patient and the case manager with too frequent assessments. A review every 6 months may neglect the dynamic nature of patient needs, risking outdated interventions. Lastly, only reviewing the plan when requested by the patient does not provide proactive care management, as it could lead to unaddressed changes in the patient’s condition or circumstances. Thus, the 30 to 90-day review period is a key part of effective case management.