Case Conference
A scheduled multidisciplinary meeting in which rehabilitation team members, and often the patient and family, review clinical progress, reassess goals, and coordinate ongoing or discharge plans.
Full Definition
Case conferences are a standard mechanism of interdisciplinary communication in inpatient and community rehabilitation settings. Participants typically include the physiatrist or treating physician, nursing staff, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, speech-language pathologist, social worker, and the patient or their designated support persons. Documentation of case conferences, including attendees, decisions made, and goal updates, is a regulatory and accreditation requirement in many health systems. Editors should note that the compound noun 'case conference' is two words and is not hyphenated in standard usage.
Usage
Usage note: Two words, no hyphen: 'case conference', not 'case-conference'. When documenting, ensure the date, attendees, and outcomes are recorded. Distinguish from an informal ward round or handover.
In Context
- "At the weekly case conference, the team agreed to progress the patient's mobility goals to include outdoor ambulation." — Inpatient rehabilitation team meeting minutes
- "The social worker presented a family case conference summary documenting the caregiver's agreement to a home discharge plan." — Rehabilitation discharge planning file