Disease Management
What is disease management?
Disease management is a concept by which the effects of a disease are prevented or minimized through integrated care. This is done in order to improve the quality of life for those with chronic conditions and reduce healthcare costs.
Disease management’s primary goal is to reduce avoidable complications by identifying and treating chronic conditions quicker and more effectively. By effectively managing a disease or condition, the disease’s progression, prevent health concerns, and reduce costs associated with more advanced diseases.
The heart of disease management focuses on self-care strategies which patients can implement. This empowers the individual to take on a more active role in their well-being.
Some of the elements of disease management include:
- Evidence-based practice guidelines
- Population identification processes
- Patient self-management education
- Collaborative practice involvement
- Tracking and monitoring system
- Process and outcomes measurement and evaluation
- Risk identification and matching of interventions to need
Why is disease management important for healthcare?
Those with chronic conditions are typically more reliant upon health care services, especially if a patient’s care is not coordinated amongst their providers. Not only does this increase the costs they sustain for health care services, but it also increases the risk of overuse or underuse of medical care.
Through disease management, and the increase in self-care efforts, those with chronic conditions can prevent and minimize the ill effects of their disease. This can reduce the amount of money they must pay for health services and leave them in better health with a higher quality of life.