Results. Of the 5,645 citations identified, we screened and reviewed 1,201 full-length articles
and included 153 articles representing 109 studies. Many of the published trials of CM examined
programs that targeted specific patient conditions, and the approaches to CM were diverse.
Overall, the interventions tested in the studies were associated with only small changes in
patient-centered outcomes, quality of care, and resource utilization. While CM can improve
some types of health care utilization, there are minimal effects on overall costs of care. For
selected populations, the characteristics of successful interventions included intense CM with
greater contact time, longer duration, face-to-face visits, and integration with patients’ usual care
providers.
Conclusions. Recognizing the heterogeneity of study populations, interventions, and outcomes,
we sought to elucidate the conditions under which CM was effective. We found that CM had
limited impact on patient-centered outcomes, quality of care, and resource utilization among
patients with chronic medical illness.