Disease Management: A Mid-Decade Evolution Toward Patient Safety

Chronic medical condition management challenges health care systems, which increasingly lack tools to resolve clinical, quality, and cost impacts of this population. Demand for care management increases as populations age and chronic illnesses increase. The chronically ill are vulnerable to safety errors, leading to poor health status and increased health care costs. Patient safety, the risk from errors of omission or commission, is an integral component of disease management (DM). DM programs address the dual problems of safety and affordability by keeping individuals in their homes, empowering self-management of chronic condition(s), reducing complications, and forestalling safety concerns. Within home health, the evolution of patient safety in chronic care management has moved from conception to a definition stage, allowing noting and "cataloguing" of best practices. Metrics will be developed promoting rigorous evaluation of DM program performance and fostering optimal wellness for the chronically ill in a cost-effective and satisfying home setting.