Continuity of care and the case management model in mental health care

Abstract

Introduction. Mental health care has evolved over the years towards the dignification of the person. The population attended in health services has also changed, with an increase in chronic and complex illnesses due to greater life expectancy and morbimortality. The need for a new model of healthcare organization to cover these new needs places continuity of care and the case management model at its centre. Objective. The aim of this research is to determine the current state of knowledge on continuity of care and the case management model and their repercussions on mental health. Material and methods. A literature review was carried out by searching the PubMed, SciELO and Google Scholar databases for publications related to the study aim over the last five years. Results. The results comprised 23 studies, which analysed aspects related to continuity of care, the importance of case management and the role of the nurse. Discussion. All the references confirmed the importance of continuity of care in achieving optimal levels of quality of care and the high effectiveness of the case management model. Recommendations. Barriers and facilitators reported by professionals and by service users themselves were identified; and the interventions carried out by nurse case managers were found to be satisfactory and efficient.