Market forces are driving a radical restructuring of health care delivery in the United States. At the same time, more and more people are living comparatively long lives with a variety of severe chronic health conditions. Many such people are concerned about the trend toward the creation of managed care systems because their need for frequent, often complex, medical services conflicts with managed care's desires to contain costs. The fear is that people with serious chronic disorders will be excluded from or underserved by the integrated health care delivery networks now emerging. Responding to a request from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, this book reflects the results of a workshop that focused on the following questions: Does the model of managed care or an integrated delivery system influence the types of interventions provided to patients with chronic conditions and the clinical and health status outcomes resulting from those interventions? If so, are these effects quantitatively and clinically significant, as compared to the effects that other variables (e.g., income, education, ethnicity) have on patient outcomes? If the type of health care delivery system appears to be related to patient care and outcomes, can specific organizational, financial, or other variables be identified that account for the relationships? If not, what type of research should be pursued to provide the information needed about the relationship between types of health care systems and the processes and outcomes of care provided to people with serious chronic conditions?

In the United States, chronic diseases currently account for 70 percent of all deaths, and close to 48 million Americans report a disability related to a chronic condition. Today, about one in four Americans have multiple diseases and the prevalence and burden of chronic disease in the elderly and racial/ethnic minorities are notably disproportionate. Chronic disease has now emerged as a major public health problem and it threatens not only population health, but our social and economic welfare. Living Well with Chronic Disease identifies the population-based public health actions that can help reduce disability and improve functioning and quality of life among individuals who are at risk of developing a chronic disease and those with one or more diseases. The book recommends that all major federally funded programmatic and research initiatives in health include an evaluation on health-related quality of life and functional status. Also, the book recommends increasing support for implementation research on how to disseminate effective longterm lifestyle interventions in community-based settings that improve living well with chronic disease. Living Well with Chronic Disease uses three frameworks and considers diseases such as heart disease and stroke, diabetes, depression, and respiratory problems. The book's recommendations will inform policy makers concerned with health reform in public- and private-sectors and also managers of communitybased and public-health intervention programs, private and public research funders, and patients living with one or more chronic conditions.

The "Key Aspects" books, each of which has won a Book-of-the-Year Award from the American Journal of Nursing, are designed to move the ideas and findings of nursing research into the practice setting. Each volume distills dozens of studies into a readable, jargon-free format with immediate relevance to nursing practice, and includes suggestions for implementation.

Breakthroughs in medical science and technology, combined with shifts in lifestyle and demographics, have resulted in a rapid rise in the number of individuals living with one or more chronic illnesses. Comprehensive Care Coordination for Chronically Ill Adults presents thorough demographics on this growing sector, describes models for change, reviews current literature and examines various outcomes. Comprehensive Care Coordination for Chronically Ill Adults is divided into two parts. The first provides thorough discussion and background on theoretical concepts of care, including a complete profile of current demographics and chapters on current models of care, intervention components, evaluation methods, health information technology, financing, and educating an interdisciplinary team. The second part of the book uses multiple case studies from various settings to illustrate successful comprehensive care coordination in practice. Nurse, physician and social work leaders in community health, primary care, education and research, and health policy makers will find this book essential among resources to improve care for the chronically ill.

Effective management of long-term conditions is an essential part of contemporary nursing policy and practice. Systematic and evidence-based care which takes account of the expert patient and reduces unnecessary hospital admissions is vital to support those with long-term conditions/chronic diseases and those who care for them. Reflecting recent changes in treatment, the nurse’s role and the patient journey and including additional content on rehabilitation, palliative care, and non-medical prescribing, this fully updated new edition highlights the key issues in managing long-term conditions. It provides a practical and accessible guide for nurses and allied health professionals in the primary care environment and covers: - the physical and psychosocial impact of long-term conditions - effective case management - self-management and the expert patient - behavioural change strategies and motivational counselling - telehealth and information technology - nutritional and medication management. Packed with helpful, clearly written information, Managing Long-term Conditions and Chronic Illness in Primary Care includes case studies, fact boxes and pointers for practice. It is ideal reading for pre- and post-registration nursing students taking modules on long-term conditions, and will be a valuable companion for pre-registration students on community placements.

"Nurses play a vital role in improving the safety and quality of patient car -- not only in the hospital or ambulatory treatment facility, but also of community-based care and the care performed by family members. Nurses need know what proven techniques and interventions they can use to enhance patient outcomes. To address this need, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), with additional funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, has prepared this comprehensive, 1,400-page, handbook for nurses on patient safety and quality -- Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses. (AHRQ Publication No. 08-0043)." - online AHRQ blurb, http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/nurseshdbk/