ACM study guide
ACM · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Accredited Case Manager (ACM) is a professional credential for case managers working in health care settings - most often nurses and social workers employed by hospitals, health systems, managed care organizations, and community agencies who coordinate care across an episode of illness. Its purpose is to confirm that a practitioner can move a patient safely and efficiently through the continuum: assessing needs, building a plan, arranging transitions, matching resources to payer rules, and documenting outcomes. The ACM study guide has 8 sections and about 2,012 words.
01Case Management Concepts, Models, and Principles
Case management is a collaborative, patient-centered process that includes screening, assessment, planning, implementation, coordination, monitoring, and evaluation. It is not the same as utilization review (a component), caregiving, or clinical diagnosis.
283 words, about 1 min02Assessment, Planning, and Care Coordination
Distinguish screening from comprehensive assessment. Screening identifies who needs deeper evaluation; comprehensive assessment gathers medical, functional, cognitive, behavioral, psychosocial, environmental, financial, caregiver, and social-determinant data.
273 words, about 1 min03Transition Management and Discharge Planning
Discharge planning begins at or near admission. Transition management includes risk stratification, medication reconciliation, patient and caregiver education, follow-up appointments, equipment and home services, warm handoffs, and clear escalation instructions.
272 words, about 1 min04Resource Management, Reimbursement, and Payer Requirements
Resource management balances clinical need, patient preference, cost, and payer rules. Know major payers: Medicare, Medicaid, commercial plans, Medicare Advantage, and managed Medicaid.
254 words, about 1 min05Psychosocial, Behavioral Health, and Patient Advocacy
Use a biopsychosocial lens: medical condition, mental health, substance use, cognition, culture, spirituality, family, housing, transportation, food, income, and safety. Screen for depression, suicidal ideation, substance use, and abuse or neglect.
230 words, about 1 min06Ethics, Legal, and Regulatory Considerations
Know the ethical principles: autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, justice, veracity, and fidelity. Informed consent requires capacity, disclosure, understanding, and voluntariness.
231 words, about 1 min07Communication and Interprofessional Collaboration
Effective communication is a clinical safety tool. Use SBAR (situation, background, assessment, recommendation), closed-loop communication, active listening, plain language, teach-back, and qualified interpreters.
226 words, about 1 min08Quality, Safety, and Outcomes Measurement
Use the Donabedian framework: structure, process, and outcomes. Quality improvement uses PDSA cycles, benchmarking, and balanced measures.
243 words, about 1 min