Improving quality of care through disease management: principles and recommendations from the American Heart Association's Expert Panel on Disease Management.

Private and public policymakers and health insurance plans increasingly are examining and introducing disease management programs to help treat chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular disease and stroke. The term disease management programs typically refers to multidisciplinary efforts to improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of care for select patients with chronic illness. This trend highlights the importance of assessing the clinical and public policy implications of this phenomenon from the perspectives of patients’ best interests and quality of care. To address the complex issues surrounding disease management, the American Heart Association (AHA) assembled a multidisciplinary Advisory Working Group on Disease Management in 2002 to offer ongoing guidance in this evolving area. The Advisory Working Group developed a working definition of disease management and established core principles for the application of disease management to cardiovascular disease and stroke, which are the subject of this report. A. Quality of Care The AHA is committed to improving the quality of care that is available to patients suffering from or at risk for cardiovascular disease and stroke through research, public education, advocacy, and the development and application of disease-specific, scientifically based standards and