Devolved clinical management and casemix.

Abstract

Devolved clinical management aims at greater medical and nursing involvement in the management of health resources and focuses on achieving measurable improvements in patient care through better use of resources. It permits the major drivers of the health care system (doctors), in collaboration with the major direct care providers (nurses), to be not only effective at allocating resources but also effective resource users. Casemix is a classification of patient care episodes based principally on resource use and can assist in the process of managing health services. We discuss the relationship between devolved clinical management and casemix systems. Health care organisations must move towards devolved clinical management, with a greater focus on the patient and a greater emphasis on accountability among all clinical disciplines.