The Use and Evaluations of IT in Chronic Disease Management

Chronic Disease Mangement And Information Technology

As the burden of chronic disease escalates, it has become clear that health care systems designed to deliver acute care do not meet the needs of the chronically ill population (McGlynn et al., 2003). Chronic conditions require ongoing, multi-disciplinary care that includes more frequent patient contact to assess changes in clinical status. Chronic conditions also require unique forms of care, such as patient education on self-management. In addition, assessments take place at both the patient level to inform the management of individual cases, and at the population level to identify trends that should be addressed systematically. These three characteristics create substantial opportunity for information technology (IT) to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of chronic disease management efforts.