The effectiveness of disease management programmes hinges on a combination of factors, all of which are important to consider when selecting a programme for implementation. This article provides a brief overview of disease management programmes commonly found in healthcare organisations,...

There is a range of interesting approaches to integrate patients' views into disease management systems in order to implement evidence-based practice, and improve patient adherence to treatment and patient satisfaction with care. Information can be provided to stimulate appropriate use of...

A Community Health Information Network (CHIN) is a web-based net of computer systems which allows the electronic exchange of clinical, financial and administrative information among unaffiliated healthcare entities in order to improve the efficiency and delivery of healthcare in the community....

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women and the second leading cause of cancer mortality. It is estimated to account for approximately 20% of all cancer expenditures, making the burden of disease relatively high. One of the most important risk factors for developing breast...

There are 3 demand sources in healthcare systems: the patient, provider and payor. Patient-determined demand is characterised as `random access' and emotionally charged. Provider-determined demand occurs within working environments that do not inherently support integration activities....

Recent years have seen the beginning of an industrial revolution in healthcare delivery. Healthcare is being transformed from a cottage industry, in which each provider sets individual standards, to a quality-controlled enterprise with common, evidence-based standards of care. Disease management...

Objective: To identify patterns of care and associated costs for typical patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in a US managed-care setting. Design: Retrospective analysis of administrative data from a proprietary managed-care research database. Patients: 6371 patients with...

Pharmacists are in an ideal position to assess, monitor and treat adherence-related problems that can adversely affect patients' health outcomes. To accomplish these goals, pharmacists must accept the responsibilities and challenges of a primary care provider. They also must assume an...