Chronic Disease Management Care Research Articles

Combining teledermatology with nonphysician members of the health care team to address access and compliance barriers in pediatric atopic dermatitis: A needs assessment

To the Editor: With skin complaints representing 8% of primary care and 20% of pediatric visits,1 and the current workforce shortage and metropolitan clustering of pediatric dermatologists in the United States,2 novel, cost-effective avenues of care for chronic disease management in pediatric dermatology are needed. Teledermatology has reduced costs and wait times and increased access to care, especially for chronic disease management (eg, acne, psoriasis) and locations in which travel is a barrier to care.

Achieving Value-Based Care in Chronic Disease Management: Intervention Study.

BackgroundThe World Health Organization notes that diabetes, a chronic disease, is a silent epidemic, and by 2020 there will be a 54% rise in the total number of individuals diagnosed with this disease. These are alarming figures that have significant repercussions for the quality of life of individuals and their families as well as for the financial stress of health care systems globally. Early detection and proactive management of diabetes is essential. The Diamond solution provides diabetes self-management by enabling patients to send details about their blood sugar readings at specific times to their nominated care coordinator to receive recommendations for diet and exercise and insulin titration.ObjectiveThe aim of the study was to assess the usability, acceptability, and fidelity of the Diamond diabetes monitoring device for patients with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Specifically assessed were (1) patient compliance, (2) patient satisfaction, (3) level of glycemic control achieved, and (4) health professional satisfaction.MethodsUsing a design science research perspective, the Diamond diabetes monitoring device solution was adapted to the Australian health care environment. Once the solution was deemed fit for purpose by the director of the OB/GYN clinical institute and on securing all relevant ethics approvals, a 2-period 2-arm nonblinded crossover clinical trial was conducted for 8 weeks total time with crossover at 4 weeks to establish proof of concept, usability, and fidelity. The patient perspective was assessed by using structured questionnaires at 4 specific stages of the project, while the clinician perspective was captured via semistructured interviews and unstructured questionnaires.ResultsThe 10 patients studied reported preferring standard care with the technology solution to standard care alone. Further, all clinicians involved concurred that the technology solution greatly assisted their ability to provide higher value patient-centered care. They also noted that it was extremely helpful for assisting in systematically monitoring glucose levels and any/all changes and trends.ConclusionsBased on these initial findings, we offer a holistic pervasive approach to enable the achievement of value-based, patient-centered care in chronic disease management. Key lessons include the importance when designing such solutions to focus on the two primary user groups (patients and clinicians).

The effectiveness of patient-centred medical home model versus standard primary care in chronic disease management: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised and non-randomised controlled trials

BackgroundStudies suggest that the Patient-Centred Medical Home (PCMH) model of primary care is more effective than standard care for improving clinical outcomes in patients with chronic diseases (non-communicable diseases), but the strength of the evidence base is unclear. The aim of the proposed systematic review is to generate a current synthesis of relevant studies on the effectiveness of PCMH model of primary care versus standard care in chronic disease management.MethodsElectronic databases such as MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Scopus will be searched using predefined search terms for PCMH, primary care, and chronic diseases for articles published up to November 2018. Reference lists of included articles and relevant reviews will also be hand searched. This review will consider eligible randomised controlled trials and controlled trials against predetermined criteria including two or more principles of PCMH model endorsed by Australian Medical Association. Data extraction will be performed independently by two reviewers, and retrieved papers will be assessed for quality using JBI Critical Appraisal Tools. Where possible, quantitative data will be pooled in statistical meta-analysis using the R packages ‘Meta’ and ‘metafor’. Effect sizes will be expressed as odds ratio (for categorical data) and weighted mean differences (for continuous data) and their 95% confidence intervals will be calculated for meta-analysis; robustness will be explored using sensitivity analysis. Heterogeneity will be assessed narratively and statistically using the Q statistics and visualised using Baujat plots including subgroup or sensitivity analyses techniques where possible. Where statistical pooling is not possible, the findings will be presented narratively.DiscussionThe findings of the proposed systematic review will provide the highest level of evidence to date on the effectiveness of the PCMH model versus standard primary care in chronic disease management. We believe that our findings will inform patients, primary care providers, and public health administrators and policy-makers on the benefits and risks of PCMH model of care.Systematic review registrationPROSPERO CRD42018085378

Patient Adherence to Scheduled Vital Sign Measurements During Home Telemonitoring: Analysis of the Intervention Arm in a Before and After Trial.

BackgroundIn a home telemonitoring trial, patient adherence with scheduled vital signs measurements is an important aspect that has not been thoroughly studied and for which data in the literature are limited. Levels of adherence have been reported as varying from approximately 40% to 90%, and in most cases, the adherence rate usually dropped off steadily over time. This drop is more evident in the first few weeks or months after the start. Higher adherence rates have been reported for simple types of monitoring and for shorter periods of intervention. If patients do not follow the intended procedure, poorer results than expected may be achieved. Hence, analyzing factors that can influence patient adherence is of great importance.ObjectiveThe goal of the research was to present findings on patient adherence with scheduled vital signs measurements in the recently completed Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) national trial of home telemonitoring of patients (mean age 70.5 years, SD 9.3 years) with chronic conditions (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, coronary artery disease, hypertensive diseases, congestive heart failure, diabetes, or asthma) carried out at 5 locations along the east coast of Australia. We investigated the ability of chronically ill patients to carry out a daily schedule of vital signs measurements as part of a chronic disease management care plan over periods exceeding 6 months (302 days, SD 135 days) and explored different levels of adherence for different measurements as a function of age, gender, and supervisory models.MethodsIn this study, 113 patients forming the test arm of a Before and After Control Intervention (BACI) home telemonitoring trial were analyzed. Patients were required to monitor on a daily basis a range of vital signs determined by their chronic condition and comorbidities. Vital signs included noninvasive blood pressure, pulse oximetry, spirometry, electrocardiogram (ECG), blood glucose level, body temperature, and body weight. Adherence was calculated as the number of days during which at least 1 measurement was taken over all days where measurements were scheduled. Different levels of adherence for different measurements, as a function of age, gender, and supervisory models, were analyzed using linear regression and analysis of covariance for a period of 1 year after the intervention.ResultsPatients were monitored on average for 302 (SD 135) days, although some continued beyond 12 months. The overall adherence rate for all measurements was 64.1% (range 59.4% to 68.8%). The adherence rates of patients monitored in hospital settings relative to those monitored in community settings were significantly higher for spirometry (69.3%, range 60.4% to 78.2%, versus 41.0%, range 33.1% to 49.0%, P<.001), body weight (64.5%, range 55.7% to 73.2%, versus 40.5%, range 32.3% to 48.7%, P<.001), and body temperature (66.8%, range 59.7% to 73.9%, versus 55.2%, range 48.4% to 61.9%, P=.03). Adherence with blood glucose measurements (58.1%, range 46.7% to 69.5%, versus 50.2%, range 42.8% to 57.6%, P=.24) was not significantly different overall. Adherence rates for blood pressure (68.5%, range 62.7% to 74.2%, versus 59.7%, range 52.1% to 67.3%, P=.04), ECG (65.6%, range 59.7% to 71.5%, versus 56.5%, range 48.7% to 64.4%, P=.047), and pulse oximetry (67.0%, range 61.4% to 72.7%, versus 56.4%, range 48.6% to 64.1%, P=.02) were significantly higher in males relative to female subjects. No statistical differences were observed between rates of adherence for the younger patient group (70 years and younger) and older patient group (older than 70 years).ConclusionsPatients with chronic conditions enrolled in the home telemonitoring trial were able to record their vital signs at home at least once every 2 days over prolonged periods of time. Male patients maintained a higher adherence than female patients over time, and patients supervised by hospital-based care coordinators reported higher levels of adherence with their measurement schedule relative to patients supervised in community settings. This was most noticeable for spirometry.Trial RegistrationAustralian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12613000635763; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=364030&isReview=true (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6xPOU3DpR).

Facilitating factors of self-care among HIV-positive young women in Iran: a qualitative study.

Background Providing care for chronic disease such as HIV is a growing challenge in the world. In order to address the challenges of linkage and care in chronic disease management, we need to identify factors that can influence people to get more involved in self-care. This study was part of an extensive qualitative study conducted in Tehran, Iran in 2016. Methods The data were collected through semi-structured interviews conducted on 25 women with HIV, and were analyzed using grounded theory. Four main themes were identified as facilitating self-care among participants: health system support, clinicians' support, family support and improved life expectancy. Sub-themes that emerged were free HIV tests; free medication; free membership in positive clubs; free psychological consultation; positive attitudes and friendly behavior from clinic staff; telephone follow up; support from husbands, mothers and peers; hope for recovery; hope for the future; and love for own children. Results Our results showed that, providing appropriate support and services, as well as a positive attitude of society towards HIV positive women, can contribute to adherence to self-care in young women with HIV. Conclusion Understanding the facilitating factors based on the patients' experiences can contribute to the development of new policies and procedures to improve the care of these patients.

Medicaid Expansion and Health Plan Quality in Medicaid Managed Care.

To assess the effect of the 2014 Medicaid expansion on Medicaid managed care plan quality. Three composite measures of plan-level quality constructed from the Health Care Effectiveness Data and Information Set. One hundred and sixty-three plans in 27 Medicaid expansion states and 100 plans in 14 nonexpansion states. Quasi-experimental difference-in-differences (DID) analysis, comparing quality before (2011-13) and after (2014-15) Medicaid expansion in states that elected to expand Medicaid eligibility and those that did not. Mean plan enrollment increased from 130,533 to 274,259 in expansion states and from 105,449 to 148,194 in nonexpansion states. The proportion of enrollees receiving recommended preventive care increased from 62.6 to 65.2 percent in expansion states and from 59.3 to 62.5 percent in nonexpansion states (adjusted DID: -0.7 percentage points [95% CI -2.2, 0.7]). The proportion of enrollees receiving recommended chronic disease care management increased from 65.4 to 66.0 percent in expansion states and from 62.5 to 63.1 percent in nonexpansion states (adjusted DID: 1.1 percentage points [95% CI -0.5, 2.6]). We observed similar patterns for the receipt of recommended maternity care. Medicaid expansion increased enrollment in managed care plans, but it did not result in erosion of quality.

Association Between Health Plan Exit From Medicaid Managed Care and Quality of Care, 2006-2014.

State Medicaid programs have increasingly contracted with insurers to provide medical care services for enrollees (Medicaid managed care plans). Insurers that provide these plans can exit Medicaid programs each year, with unclear effects on quality of care and health care experiences. To determine the frequency and interstate variation of health plan exit from Medicaid managed care and evaluate the relationship between health plan exit and market-level quality. Retrospective cohort of all comprehensive Medicaid managed care plans (N = 390) during the interval 2006-2014. Plan exit, defined as the withdrawal of a managed care plan from a state's Medicaid program. Eight measures from the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set were used to construct 3 composite indicators of quality (preventive care, chronic disease care management, and maternity care). Four measures from the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems were combined into a composite indicator of patient experience, reflecting the proportion of beneficiaries rating experiences as 8 or above on a 0-to-10-point scale. Outcome data were available for 248 plans (68% of plans operating prior to 2014, representing 78% of beneficiaries). Of the 366 comprehensive Medicaid managed care plans operating prior to 2014, 106 exited Medicaid. These exiting plans enrolled 4 848 310 Medicaid beneficiaries, with a mean of 606 039 beneficiaries affected by plan exits annually. Six states had a mean of greater than 10% of Medicaid managed care recipients enrolled in plans that exited, whereas 10 states experienced no plan exits. Plans that exited from a state's Medicaid market performed significantly worse prior to exiting than those that remained in terms of preventive care (57.5% vs 60.4%; difference, 2.9% [95% CI, 0.3% to 5.5%]), maternity care (69.7% vs 73.6%; difference, 3.8% [95% CI, 1.7% to 6.0%]), and patient experience (73.5% vs 74.8%; difference, 1.3% [95% CI, 0.6% to 1.9%]). There was no significant difference between exiting and nonexiting plans for the quality of chronic disease care management (76.2% vs 77.1%; difference, 1.0% [95% CI, -2.1% to 4.0%]). There was also no significant change in overall market performance before and after the exit of a plan: 0.7-percentage point improvement in preventive care quality (95% CI, -4.9 to 6.3); 0.2-percentage point improvement in chronic disease care management quality (95% CI, -5.8 to 6.2); 0.7-percentage point decrease in maternity care quality (95% CI, -6.4 to 5.0]); and a 0.6-percentage point improvement in patient experience ratings (95% CI, -3.9 to 5.1). Medicaid beneficiaries enrolled in exiting plans had access to coverage for a higher-quality plan, with 78% of plans in the same county having higher quality for preventive care, 71.1% for chronic disease management, 65.5% for maternity care, and 80.8% for patient experience. Between 2006 and 2014, health plan exit from the US Medicaid program was frequent. Plans that exited generally had lower quality ratings than those that remained, and the exits were not associated with significant overall changes in quality or patient experience in the plans in the Medicaid market.

A Primary Care Nursing Perspective on Chronic Disease Prevention and Management.

According to the American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing (AAACN), Ambulatory care nursing is a unique realm of specialized nursing practice. RNs in the ambulatory setting are leaders in their practice settings and are uniquely qualified to influence organizational standards related to patient safety and care delivery in the outpatient setting.5 RNs in the inpatient setting are highly regarded as critical thinkers often implementing and providing care utilizing the steps of the nursing process which promote excellent quality care. As more and more patients transition from inpatient to outpatient settings, there is a greater demand for professional nursing services in the outpatient settings. RNs can utilize the same steps of the nursing process, which include assessment, nursing diagnosis, planning, implementing, and evaluation in caring for individuals in the outpatient setting. Tools used to provide care are order sets, protocols, and care plans. Primary Care offices can utilize registered nurses in day to day patient care delivery, education, self-management support, chronic disease care management and care coordination of services, and oversight and collaboration of panels of individuals. Providing these services will make a positive impact on patient outcomes and will prevent chronic diseases. In Canada, payment models have recently been implemented in primary care to address the increasing burden that patients with chronic diseases place on the Canadian healthcare system.4

Examining the impact of regular physician visits on heart failure patients: a use case with electronic health data

The rapid adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) presents opportunities to study care management within health systems. We examine the efficacy of using EHR data to assess the outcomes of outpatient care for chronic disease management. A retrospective-prospective study was conducted using 6 years of archived EHR data from patients treated for heart failure at a rural community hospital. Patients were placed into two cohorts, ‘Regular’ and ‘Non-Regular’, based on the frequency of provider contact. A hospital charge ratio was used to calculate cost. Patient mortality and the frequency of unintended events were used to assess patient outcomes. Case study results suggest that sporadic outpatient care was associated with greater utilization of more intensive health-care services. When inpatient and Emergency Department utilization became necessary for both groups, the Regular outpatient cohort had lower mortality rates, fewer readmissions, and incurred lower and less variable costs. Overall, the study showed great potential for using EHR data for assessing care outcomes, notwithstanding some key limitations. We conclude by discussing the types of insights possible and shortcomings attributed from health systems research derived from EHR data.

Chronic case management: Clinical governance with cost reductions.

With increasing global impact of chronic degenerative non-communicable diseases (CDNCD), multidisciplinary chronic disease management care programs (CDMCP) come as a solution to improve the quality of patients care. We conducted a cross-sectional epidemiologic prospective cohort study with data comparing a group of patients monitored by a CDMCP with subjects without CDMCP care, from 2010 to 2012. The patients monitored in this program were selected because they presented CDNCD with frequent hospitalization and/or emergency care in the year prior to study selection. Also, the patients could be referred to the program by their physicians and/or other programs such as HomeCare or family medicine. All costs related to the program were included and compared with the costs of users with the same epidemiological profile who opted for not participating in the CDMCP. We analyzed data from 1,256 cases, including 639 (51%) men and 617 (49%) women. The mean age was 56.99 years and 73% were older than 50 years. There was a prevalence of 34% (428) cases with ischemic heart disease (myocardial infarction and stroke) and 17% (210) with neoplasms. The cases studied showed a reduction of 79% in the number of days of hospitalization compared with the cases without CDMCP monitoring. The average reduction of total costs (hospitalizations, emergency room visits and/or disease complications) was 31.94%, with average reduction of 8.36% in monthly costs. Multidisciplinary monitoring carried out by CDNCD patient management programs can reduce hospitalizations, emergency room visits and complications, positively impacting the costs with health care.

Boundary Negotiating Artifacts in Personal Informatics: Patient-Provider Collaboration with Patient-Generated Data.

Patient-generated data is increasingly common in chronic disease care management. Smartphone applications and wearable sensors help patients more easily collect health information. However, current commercial tools often do not effectively support patients and providers in collaboration surrounding these data. This paper examines patient expectations and current collaboration practices around patient-generated data. We survey 211 patients, interview 18 patients, and re-analyze a dataset of 21 provider interviews. We find that collaboration occurs in every stage of self-tracking and that patients and providers create boundary negotiating artifacts to support the collaboration. Building upon current practices with patient-generated data, we use these theories of patient and provider collaboration to analyze misunderstandings and privacy concerns as well as identify opportunities to better support these collaborations. We reflect on the social nature of patient-provider collaboration to suggest future development of the stage-based model of personal informatics and the theory of boundary negotiating artifacts.

Cardiology Tele-Homecare Monitoring In Older Patients with Congestive Heart Failure Enhances the Quality of Care in Chronic Disease Management- Pilot Project

Background: Several chronic diseases are highly associated with disability, requiring a high level of health-care service. Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) represents one of the most frequent chronic diseases associated with poor quality of life, reduced social activity and patient mobility, especially in old patients. During CHF management, both the patient and caregivers should hold an active role in the type of necessary care need. Considering that the majority of patients (or caregivers) are not completely aware of the necessary care plan, direct medical supervision is crucial. According to the recent national guidelines on tele-homecare, an in-depth reorganization of health care is necessary to identify needs from the hospital setting to homecare management in urban area, which in turn will play an important role on improving personal independency levels and quality of life. Aim of our study: In contemporary literature there is a lack of clinical trials for evaluating the impact of telemedicine on quality of life in elderly population affected by cardiovascular disease. The aim is to identify variables associated with improved quality of life of older people with CHF who lives in urban area of medium sized city, (Ancona, Italy). Methods: Tele-homecare for CHF combined with health education courses, addressed to both the patient and caregiver, followed by weekly tele-monitoring of patient vitals. A web-based patient interface technology using medical devices equipped with a software platform, capable of monitoring, recording and sending to cardiology department. The study started in June 2014 and lasted for 12 months. Results: This is a pilot study with patients undergoing training sessions to recognize acute signs and symptoms of heart failure including feedback on learning and self-management skills of the disease. By using Kansas city Cardiomyopathy questionnaire before and after intervention, we obtain improvement in symptom frequency, stability and symptom burden score, as well as in self efficacy and quality of life score.

Information and communication technology-enabled person-centered care for the "big five" chronic conditions: scoping review.

BackgroundPerson-centered information and communication technology (ICT) could encourage patients to take an active part in their health care and decision-making process, and make it possible for patients to interact directly with health care providers and services about their personal health concerns. Yet, little is known about which ICT interventions dedicated to person-centered care (PCC) and connected-care interactions have been studied, especially for shared care management of chronic diseases. The aim of this research is to investigate the extent, range, and nature of these research activities and identify research gaps in the evidence base of health studies regarding the “big 5” chronic diseases: diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease, cancer, and stroke.ObjectiveThe objective of this paper was to review the literature and to scope the field with respect to 2 questions: (1) which ICT interventions have been used to support patients and health care professionals in PCC management of the big 5 chronic diseases? and (2) what is the impact of these interventions, such as on health-related quality of life and cost efficiency?MethodsThis research adopted a scoping review method. Three electronic medical databases were accessed: PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library. The research reviewed studies published between January 1989 and December 2013. In 5 stages of systematic scanning and reviewing, relevant studies were identified, selected, and charted. Then we collated, summarized, and reported the results.ResultsFrom the initial 9380 search results, we identified 350 studies that qualified for inclusion: diabetes mellitus (n=103), cardiovascular disease (n=89), chronic respiratory disease (n=73), cancer (n=67), and stroke (n=18). Persons with one of these chronic conditions used ICT primarily for self-measurement of the body, when interacting with health care providers, with the highest rates of use seen in chronic respiratory (63%, 46/73) and cardiovascular (53%, 47/89) diseases. We found 60 relevant studies (17.1%, 60/350) on person-centered shared management ICT, primarily using telemedicine systems as personalized ICT. The highest impact measured related to the increase in empowerment (15.4%, 54/350). Health-related quality of life accounted for 8%. The highest impact connected to health professionals was an increase in clinical outcome (11.7%, 41/350). The impacts on organization outcomes were decrease in hospitalization (12.3%, 43/350) and increase of cost efficiency (10.9%, 38/350).ConclusionsThis scoping review outlined ICT-enabled PCC in chronic disease management. Persons with a chronic disease could benefit from an ICT-enabled PCC approach, but ICT-PCC also yields organizational paybacks. It could lead to an increase in health care usage, as reported in some studies. Few interventions could be regarded as “fully” addressing PCC. This review will be especially helpful to those deciding on areas where further development of research or implementation of ICT-enabled PCC may be warranted.

Use of chronic disease management algorithms in Australian community pharmacies.

In Australia, standardized chronic disease management algorithms are available for medical practitioners, nursing practitioners and nurses through a range of sources including prescribing software, manuals and through government and not-for-profit non-government organizations. There is currently no standardized algorithm for pharmacist intervention in the management of chronic diseases.. To investigate if a collaborative community pharmacists and doctors' model of care in chronic disease management could improve patients' outcomes through ongoing monitoring of disease biochemical markers, robust self-management skills and better medication adherence. This project was a pilot pragmatic study, measuring the effect of the intervention by comparing the baseline and the end of the study patient health outcomes, to support future definitive studies. Algorithms for selected chronic conditions were designed, based on the World Health Organisation STEPS™ process and Central Australia Rural Practitioners' Association Standard Treatment Manual. They were evaluated in community pharmacies in 8 inland Australian small towns, mostly having only one pharmacy in order to avoid competition issues. The algorithms were reviewed by Murrumbidgee Medicare Local Ltd, New South Wales, Australia, Quality use of Medicines committee. They constitute a pharmacist-driven, doctor/pharmacist collaboration primary care model. The Pharmacy owners volunteered to take part in the study and patients were purposefully recruited by in-store invitation. Six out of 9 sites' pharmacists (67%) were fully capable of delivering the algorithm (each site had 3 pharmacists), one site (11%) with 2 pharmacists, found it too difficult and withdrew from the study, and 2 sites (22%, with one pharmacist at each site) stated that they were personally capable of delivering the algorithm but unable to do so due to workflow demands. This primary care model can form the basis of workable collaboration between doctors and pharmacists ensuring continuity of care for patients. It has potential for rural and remote areas of Australia where this continuity of care may be problematic.

Cost of best-practice primary care management of chronic disease in a remote Aboriginal community.

To estimate the cost of completing all chronic care tasks recommended by the Central Australian Rural Practitioners Association Standard Treatment Manual (CARPA STM) for patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD). The study was conducted at a health service in a remote Central Australian Aboriginal community between July 2010 and May 2011. The chronic care tasks required were ascertained from the CARPA STM. The clinic database was reviewed for data on disease prevalence and adherence to CARPA STM guidelines. Recommended tasks were observed in a time-and-motion study of clinicians' work. Clinicians were interviewed about systematic management and its barriers. Expenditure records were analysed for salary and administrative costs. Diabetes and CKD prevalence; time spent on chronic disease care tasks; completion of tasks recommended by the CARPA STM; barriers to systematic care identified by clinicians; and estimated costs of optimal primary care management of all residents with diabetes or CKD. Projected annual costs of best-practice care for diabetes and CKD for this community of 542 people were $900 792, of which $645 313 would be met directly by the local primary care service. Estimated actual expenditure for these conditions in 2009-10 was $446 585, giving a projected funding gap of $198 728 per annum, or $1733 per patient. High staff turnover, acute care workload and low health literacy also hindered optimal chronic disease care. Barriers to optimal care included inadequate funding and workforce issues. Reduction of avoidable hospital admissions and overall costs necessitates adequate funding of primary care of chronic disease in remote communities.

Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS) for preventive management of COPD patients.

BackgroundThe use of information and communication technologies to manage chronic diseases allows the application of integrated care pathways, and the optimization and standardization of care processes. Decision support tools can assist in the adherence to best-practice medicine in critical decision points during the execution of a care pathway.ObjectivesThe objectives are to design, develop, and assess a clinical decision support system (CDSS) offering a suite of services for the early detection and assessment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which can be easily integrated into a healthcare providers' work-flow.MethodsThe software architecture model for the CDSS, interoperable clinical-knowledge representation, and inference engine were designed and implemented to form a base CDSS framework. The CDSS functionalities were iteratively developed through requirement-adjustment/development/validation cycles using enterprise-grade software-engineering methodologies and technologies. Within each cycle, clinical-knowledge acquisition was performed by a health-informatics engineer and a clinical-expert team.ResultsA suite of decision-support web services for (i) COPD early detection and diagnosis, (ii) spirometry quality-control support, (iii) patient stratification, was deployed in a secured environment on-line. The CDSS diagnostic performance was assessed using a validation set of 323 cases with 90% specificity, and 96% sensitivity. Web services were integrated in existing health information system platforms.ConclusionsSpecialized decision support can be offered as a complementary service to existing policies of integrated care for chronic-disease management. The CDSS was able to issue recommendations that have a high degree of accuracy to support COPD case-finding. Integration into healthcare providers' work-flow can be achieved seamlessly through the use of a modular design and service-oriented architecture that connect to existing health information systems.

The self-perceived knowledge, skills and attitudes of Australian practice nurses in providing nutrition care to patients with chronic disease

Nutrition is important for the management of chronic diseases. While practice nurses have numerous roles in primary care, the expectations on practice nurses to provide nutrition care for chronic disease management are increasing. The self-perceived knowledge, skills and attitudes of practice nurses in providing nutrition care has not been widely investigated. The aim of the present study was to investigate the perceptions of Australian practice nurses on the provision of nutrition care for chronic disease management, including specific nutrition-related activities. A cross-sectional online survey was completed by 181 Australian practice nurses in 2013. Descriptive analyses were conducted on each survey item. The survey sample was tested for representation of the Australian practice nurse workforce, and associations between respondents' demographic characteristics and responses to survey items were explored. Almost all practice nurses (89%) felt it was important to address diet whenever they cared for a patient. Over half of practice nurses (61%) were unsure if their practices were effective in increasing patients' compliance with nutritional recommendations. Nearly all practice nurses (98%) perceived further education on nutrition would assist them in their role. Practice nurses perceive they have an important role and favourable attitudes towards providing nutrition care; however, further training and education to enhance their self-perceived effectiveness is warranted. Future research should clarify whether an increase in nutrition-focused training results in improved effectiveness of nutrition care provided by practice nurses in terms of patient health outcomes.

Integration of family practice centres to secondary care hospitals via health commissioning methodology

Background: Integration of family practice centres to secondary care hospitals could help to manage chronic disease in the primary care by a cost effective way. This study aimed to identify factors needed for management of chronic disease in the primary care setting. Methods: The study has been used qualitative data collection techniques by semi-structured interviews. 273 participants that have been participated in Health Management Congress 2012 in Isparta/ Turkey were interweaved. The respondents were consisting of health professionals, managers, and social care professionals. Results: Barriers to integration were unawareness about health commissioning business models and lack of coordination across secondary and primary care health services, uncertainty about the adequacy of new health care transition systems that could be managed by effective health commissioning services. Conclusion: Health commissioning services via health integration with primary and secondary care may offer a cost effective and safe form of care for chronic disease management to family medical physicians. Interventions are therefore needed to reduce uncertainty about the implementation commissioning processes and to ensure integrated health service models of primary care.

OP89 Challenges in Managing Multimorbid Patients: A Meta-Ethnography of the GPS Perspective

BackgroundMultimorbidity refers to the co-existence of two or more long-term conditions in an individual patient, and is the norm amongst patients attending primary care for chronic disease management. Qualitative research...

‘The onus is on me’: primary care patient views of Medicare‐funded team care in chronic disease management in Australia

This study investigated the views of primary care patients in receipt of Medicare-funded team care for chronic disease management (CDM) in Australia. A qualitative study using a repeat in-depth interview design. Twenty-three patients (17 female), aged 32-89, were recruited over a six-month period from two purposively selected general practices: one urban and one regional practice in Queensland, Australia. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants 6 months apart. An interview guide was used to ensure consistency of topics explored. Interviews were recorded and transcribed, and a thematic analysis was conducted. Patients in this study viewed the combined contributions of a GP and other health professionals in team care as thorough and reassuring. In this case of Medicare-funded team care, patients also saw obligations within the structured care routine which cultivated a personal ethics of CDM. This was further influenced by how patients viewed their role in the health-care relationship. Aside from personal obligations, Medicare funding got patients engaged in team care by providing financial incentives. Indeed, this was a defining factor in seeing allied health professionals. However, team care was also preferential due to patients' valuations of costs and benefits. Patients are likely to engage with a structured team care approach to CDM if there is a sense of personal obligation and sufficient financial incentive. The level of engagement in team care is likely to be optimized if patient expectations and preferences are considered in decisions.