Deconstructing Heart Failure Disease Management

Abstract

Editorials19 October 2004Deconstructing Heart Failure Disease ManagementEdward H. Wagner, MD, MPHEdward H. Wagner, MD, MPHFrom MacColl Institute for Healthcare Innovation, Group Health Cooperative; Seattle, WA 98101-1448.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-141-8-200410190-00015 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Frustrated by the challenges of containing costs and improving quality, many medical administrators and policymakers are turning to organized programs for patients with major chronic illnesses. These programs, generally labeled disease management, seek to provide more intensive education, monitoring, and support than may be possible in typical medical practice. Disease management nowadays is most often considered to consist of interventions delivered by a commercial entity distinct from the patient's usual source of medical care (1). Often, the programs rely on telephone contact between a distant nurse care manager and patient. Many people think of congestive heart failure (CHF), with its ...