Disease management strategies: managing care giving in managed care

The rapid rate of change in health care delivery systems has challenged and troubled health care providers. Some new health care delivery systems primarily emphasize the economics of medical care and leave providers with a sense that their profession has strayed from its mission. In addition, there is an increasing demand by payers and the public for public accountability for the quality and expense of clinical services. One response to these changes in health care is the use of disease management strategies. There is a growing body of knowledge regarding disease management strategies and practice guidelines in the literature. This article discusses how a provider group can implement improvement in the clinical process successfully by applying techniques of disease management.