In this article, we provide a practical and systematic framework to evaluate the cost effectiveness of health plans Research data indicate that cost effectiveness varies by clinical domain. Blood pressure control, use of aspirin, and influenza and pneumococcal immunizations are cost saving in...

Background and objective: In day-to-day practice, asthma treatment and self-management often fall short of the objectives defined by clinical practice guidelines. The objective of this study was to determine whether a population-based asthma disease management program, using broad-based...

The burden of chronic diseases is tremendous, and traditional methods of healthcare delivery are unsuitable for addressing these needs. Chronic disease management has emerged as a new strategy for chronic disease care, but a consistent definition has not been utilized. Our objective is to...

Background: Over 180 million people have been diagnosed with diabetes mellitus worldwide, with this number expected to more than double by 2030. Due to the increasing mortality and morbidity associated with this epidemic, the improved primary-care management of diabetes during routine office...

There is considerable merit in undertaking to shift disease patterns at the community level. Typical problems reflect difficulties in the application of community-based prevention programmes, rather than inherent deficiencies in the concept itself. Scientific issues bear as much on successful...

Disease management, a new treatment model that may improve outcomes for patients with chronic illness, emphasises the need for formal assessments often not included in traditional approaches to healthcare, such as environmental exposures, self-care skills and functional status. This article...

Social healthcare systems in Europe must cope with aging populations and rising costs. For the German social healthcare system, which dates back to the 19th century, this problem is especially apparent, as soaring structural unemployment and the demographic transition of the population threaten...

Objective: To assess the impact of a comprehensive migraine disease management program, as measured by humanistic outcomes measures, conducted in a managed care setting. Design: A prospective comparative study comprised of an intervention and a control group to evaluate the impact of the disease...

After the establishment of an industry trade association and accreditation, standardizing performance measurement is the third critical milestone in the maturation of the disease management (DM) industry. The publication of Standard Outcome Metrics and Evaluation Methodology for Disease...

Older patients often experience a loss of independent physical functioning during the course of an acute illness that requires hospitalization. Although functional outcomes are not usually the focus of care in the hospital, they may be critical determinants of the quality of life, physical...