MODERN APPROACHES TO DEFINING CASE MANAGEMENT

Case management is a widely applied and recognized approach in healthcare, social work, business, and management. However, it lacks a unified definition or standardized framework, which limits its practical application and consistency across sectors. The growing complexity of modern challenges, including digitalization, interdisciplinary demands, and crisis situations like the war in Ukraine, underscores the need for a clear conceptual understanding and universal methodologies for implementing case management in diverse fields. This study focuses on analyzing scientific approaches to defining case management, its structural components, and stages, while exploring its potential for further development in contemporary and crisis-driven contexts. The research employs an interdisciplinary methodology, combining literature reviews, legislative analysis, and real-world applications of case management during wartime. Insights are drawn from international and Ukrainian scholarly perspectives across healthcare, social work, business, and law. Legislative documents, such as Ukrainian laws on social services, are analyzed alongside empirical examples from business and social projects. Methods of synthesis, modeling, and generalization are used to propose practical recommendations for adapting case management to address modern and crisis-specific challenges. The findings identify five primary approaches to defining case management: functional-processual, client-centered, interdisciplinary, context-specific, and legal- regulatory. Each highlights a structured process consisting of needs assessment, planning, coordination, implementation, monitoring, and case closure. A flexible algorithm has been developed, enabling case management practices to adapt to the unique needs of different sectors. Key challenges include digitalization, interdisciplinary collaboration, and cultural sensitivity, particularly under wartime conditions in Ukraine. Value of case management lies in its ability to efficiently integrate resources and to address diverse client needs, making it critical for business support, crisis management, social services, and healthcare in unstable environments. This research emphasizes the need to establish universal standards for case management across industries while tailoring practices to local and crisis-specific contexts. Future studies should focus on leveraging digital tools, such as automated platforms and AI, and addressing intercultural and globalization challenges. These advancements could ensure greater adaptability and effectiveness of case management in diverse and rapidly changing environments.