United Hospital Fund’s Families and Health Care Project

A New York Times story asks: {W}ho coordinates the proliferating number of healthcare helpers variously known as case managers, care managers, care coordinators, patient navigators or facilitators, health coaches or even — here’s a new one — ‘pathfinders’?”

The Times reported:

”Patients and family caregivers — who are always the de facto care coordinators — may feel bombarded, said Carol Levine, the director of the United Hospital Fund’s Families and Healthcare Project.”

“’I hear a lot about people getting discharged from the hospital, and four or five people call the next week: ‘How’re you doing?’ ” she said. Families wonder, ‘Who are all these people, and why are they bothering me?’ she said. Sometimes, overwhelmed patients simply stop answering the phone.”