A. Although it is challenging to maintain a current case management resource list, an attempt to do so herein has been undertaken. These resources are intended to facilitate the continuous pursuit of knowledge, which is a hallmark of professional case management practice.

B. The resources available to case managers and other health professionals are constantly changing. New textbooks are often published by experts in the field and competing publishers, while other existing textbooks are updated to reflect current or future anticipated practices. Additionally, some textbooks are left untouched, which makes them outdated and no longer appropriate for application in practice. Moreover, some authors and publishers may decide to sunset certain textbooks, and therefore, these textbooks disappear from the industry altogether. These constant changes make it necessary for case management professionals to remain up to date on the knowledge available for practice.

C. Journal articles (or periodicals) generally are more current in their content compared to textbooks; however, periodicals are often not comprehensive enough in addressing a particular topic compared to textbooks, and sometimes, they share one expert’s experience or philosophical opinion instead of innovative, common practices and generalizable knowledge.

D. Despite the existing advantages and disadvantages to textbooks and periodicals, it is advisable for case management professionals to review both textbooks and periodicals available on a phenomenon of interest to gain a broader and more comprehensive perspective on the practice.

E. It is essential for case management professionals to conduct literature searches on topics or phenomena of interest and refrain from assuming that what is listed in this chapter is what they need or a comprehensive review of literature and the best available knowledge on the topic. The resources provided herein are but the proverbial tip-of-the-iceberg and intended as a first step in your lifelong learning quest as a case management professional.

F. No specific criteria (e.g., quality, credibility, accuracy, currency, or evidence rating scales) were applied in the selection of the resources (i.e., textbooks, periodicals, and Web sites) listed in this chapter.

G. It is likely that a textbook included in the resource list is an older edition from what is Retrieved from the time you are interested in it. Therefore, the editors suggest that you take the time and check first if a more recent edition is available before you access it. You may do
this by checking the publisher’s Web site or any other commonly used sales site you may be routinely accessing when you purchase your textbooks.

H. The resources included in this chapter are in no way meant to constitute an “exhaustive,” “comprehensive,” or a “systematic” review of the literature on case management. These resources are a starting point to get you going with your quest for key resources in case management. You may then locate other resources that are of greater interest to you in your specialty area (e.g., practice setting, professional discipline, or patient population you care for).

A. Accreditation—A program that is designed based on nationally recognized standards and reflective of the latest quality and safety practices in a particular specialty or health care organization type. The program is usually offered by a nongovernment agency, which acts as an independent reviewer of the interested health care organization. Based on defined standards, the accreditation agency makes a determination whether the organization meets the nationally recognized standards (also referred to as accreditation criteria). Based on the review findings, a decision is rendered. The organization is then referred to as accredited by that organization.

B. Certificate—A document awarded to affirm that an individual participated or attended a given educational program. It can be provided by any professional agency (private or public, for profit and not for profit), university, or college. Usually, a certificate is not nationally recognized in any form other than an evidence of educational credit. In cases where continuing education credit (CE) or units are offered, the CE certificate then reflects that a professional body, other than the agent offering the educational program, has reviewed the offering and deemed it appropriate for CE.

C. Certification—Use of this term varies based on its reference to an individual professional or to an organization or a program within an organization.

D. Credentialing—Similar to certification, the use of this term varies based on whether it refers to an individual professional or to an organization, program, or service within an organization.

E. Credentials—Evidence of competence, current and relevant licensure, certification, education, and experience.

F. Professional development—The process of ongoing learning and advancement of one’s specialty-based practice knowledge, skills, and abilities. It encompasses a variety of formal, informal, and ongoing jobembedded and facilitated learning opportunities. Examples of learning activities are academic degrees, coursework, attendance at conferences, on-the-job training, reading textbooks and journal articles, and formal coaching or mentoring.

G. Scholarly activities—The professional actions taken to disseminate knowledge and innovations. The main purpose is the sharing of information with others including one’s peers in a written, oral, or performance presentation using multimedia technology, which ultimately subjects the knowledge to critique or review for its utility and value in practice.

H. Scholarship—The development of new knowledge or enhancement of existing knowledge in a specific area or specialty. This may entail the discovery of new practices or insights about a phenomenon through research, application of the new discoveries into practice (translation of evidence into practice), or teaching others about, and the use of, the new discoveries in one’s practice.

A. In its standards of practice for case management, CMSA describes the requirements for the case manager role including education, licensure or certification, and other qualifications. The standards also emphasize that case managers should maintain knowledge, skills, and competence in their area of practice (CMSA, 2010).

B. Case managers and other involved professionals are able to maintain and advance their knowledge, skills, and competence through professional development, scholarship, and scholarly activities.

C. Case managers have a primary obligation toward the field of case management: advancement of the practice. They can achieve this by engaging in research activities and sharing of their discoveries and
innovations with others either via presentations at conferences or publishing their work in the form of textbooks or journal articles.

D. Case managers can also contribute to the field through volunteer activities, which may include membership in professional organizations (e.g., CMSA), assuming positions on association boards, and engaging in local, regional, or national taskforces about some aspects of case management practice (i.e., health and public policy).

E. Through scholarship and scholarly activities, case managers are able to contribute to the standards of practice so that these standards remain current and appropriate for guiding the practice.

A. Often, professional organizations or associations develop standards of practice in their area of specialization to guide their membership about the expected practice in that area.

B. There are many professional organizations that are directly or indirectly related to case management. These have developed and published standards either about the general or specialty practice of case management. Some also have published about case management practice in a particular patient population. Case managers must be familiar with the standards advocated for and published by the professional organizations in their case management specialty practice whether based on care settings, patient population, or professional discipline.

C. Here are some examples of widely used standards in case management practice:

A. The case management textbooks available vary based on the target audience or the basis of the core subject matter they address. They vary across work settings, practice sites, professional disciplines, and patient populations.

B. Below is a select list of available textbooks that case managers may find helpful in their quest for ongoing professional development and advancement.

A. Journal articles about the practice of case management are as important as textbooks for professional development. Case managers must be familiar with available journals in case management. Accessing case management journals and reviewing their content help keep case managers up to date in their knowledge of the practice. It is a way of maintaining one’s knowledge, skills, and competencies, which ultimately enhance one’s image and identity as a professional.

B. Below is a list of select case management journals. Case managers may use these journals, and others, to publish their work and innovations and to remain abreast of others’ work and innovations.

A. Select Periodicals, Books, and Other Sources: