What is the primary purpose of a care management plan for chronic illness?

• A. To reduce patient involvement in decisions
• B. To coordinate multidisciplinary care, improve outcomes, and reduce hospitalizations by aligning treatment goals with patient preferences.
• C. To limit resources
• D. To focus on physician roles only

Answer: (B)

The main idea behind a care management plan for chronic illness is to coordinate care across the different members of the health care team while keeping the patient at the center, with goals and treatments aligned to what the patient prefers. This approach uses a shared plan that guides all providers—physicians, nurses, pharmacists, social workers, and others—in a unified way, so treatments don’t conflict and follow a clear path.

Why this is the best choice: By bringing together multiple disciplines, the plan covers medical treatments, follow-up schedules, medication management, and self-care support, all tailored to the patient’s values and preferences. When care is coordinated and aligned with what matters to the patient, adherence improves, outcomes tend to get better, and unnecessary hospitalizations are more likely to be avoided.

Why the other options don’t fit: Reducing patient involvement undermines the collaborative, self-management aspect essential to chronic disease care. Limiting resources runs counter to the goal of optimizing access and reducing hospitalizations. Focusing only on physician roles ignores the team-based nature of chronic care and the importance of patient preferences in guiding management.