Question

• Define disease management (DM) programs.
• Describe the impacts of DM programs on healthcare quality and cost.
• Identify challenges in DM programs.
• Examine a successful DM program from real life and address (a) What is its accreditation status? (b) Why is this program successful? and (c) Can it be replicated in other settings?

Answer 1

●The Disease management program in simple refers to the effective ways for management of long term illness like diabetes, cardiovascular disease,asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, breast cancer.

●The impact of DM programs on healthcare quality is it has improved the quality if care by proper ,regular follow up with patients, continuous medical care to the patients, early treatment of any major complications or adverse events,reduced hospitalizations and frequent visits to the emergency department,improved team work.This has finally reduced the unnecessary medical expenditure for the patient and the government.

Some of the main challenges in DM programs are

• Always adherence to the treatment program by the patient are difficult due to varied reasons.
• Management of two or more comorbid diseases
• Identification of the appropriate people with chronic diseases

● Medicaid Disease Management program is accredited by NCQA Disease Management and Accreditation Program.The Ger,an Federzl Joint committee accreditation can be done.Thus program is successful because it has improved the quality of patient life and reduced medical cost expenditure. It can be replicated in other settings like healthcare clinics ,in work place for the employees, labours, etc.,obesity management in children, etc.,