US employers are facing an unprecedented opportunity to contribute toward positive, disruptive innovations in healthcare. The convergence of major trends will enable employers to exercise significant leverage in controlling healthcare costs and improving quality. US healthcare is ripe for...

The 1999 reform of the Italian healthcare system has softened the effects of the 1992 shift to market mechanisms and competition within healthcare by promoting cooperation and partnerships among providers and Local Health Units (LHUs). In addition, it has facilitated the completion of...

Diabetes mellitus has considerable and increasing importance in England. The burden of illness is concentrated in ethnic minority groups and socioeconomically deprived areas. Evidence for effective clinical care has increased following the results of the UK Prospective Diabetes Study but current...

If the disease management industry succeeds in producing effective solutions to many of the problems besetting today's healthcare delivery systems (such as misalignment of financial and care incentives, poor customer service, failure to provide useful preventative care, and a dearth of empirical...

The health of the international workforce has been an increasing area of concern for the last two decades. Globalization of the world economy and rapid technological changes continue to change the nature of work and employment practices, exposing employees to new and serious health risks. These...

The National Service Framework for Older People (NSF), published recently by the Department of Health in England, represents a major initiative to improve services for this group of patients. It describes an ambitious 10-year plan to address ageism, person-centered care, hospital care,...

The rapid expansion of disease management continues. A multitude of stakeholders and marketplaces are now involved in providing cost-effective quality healthcare for individuals and populations. To help you keep up-to-date with the very latest developments in disease management, this section of...

Acute coronary syndromes (ACS) comprising acute myocardial infarction and unstable angina pectoris are prevalent causes for patient admission to hospital. Research has disclosed variations in the quality of in-hospital care of such patients as measured by levels of adherence to evidence-based...

The heightened awareness of substantial racial and ethnic disparities in health outcomes has major implications for how healthcare providers effectively manage health conditions among diverse populations. This report identifies five dimensions that address the major causes of disparities that...