This book brings together the approaches adopted by eight countries to address the policy issues necessary to provide high-quality and affordable health andsocial care for people suffering from chronic disease.

This book focuses on optimizing management and outcomes rather than on routine diagnosis of chronic disease. The reader learns proven methods for treating the most common chronic conditions that they see in daily practice. Chapters are structured to help physicians adopt evidence-based management techniques specific for each condition. Special emphasis is placed on the use of action plans and educational resources for promoting patient self-management.

"Overall, the book walks a delicate balance between evidence and advocacy regarding the care of people with chronic conditions. Nolte and McKee conclude the volume with the following: 'A first step is to recognize that something must be done. A second, which we hope will be facilitated by the evidence provided in this book, is to realize that something actually can be done, and that they can do it (p. 240)'. The overarching desire to match the need for evidence with the reality that advocates (including policy-makers) need a reasoned voice makes the book well suited to health policy deliberations." International Journal of Integrated Care The complex nature of many chronic diseases, which affect people many different ways, requires a multifaceted response that will meet the needs of the individual patient. Yet while everyone agrees that the traditional relationship between an individual patient and a single doctor is inappropriate, there is much less agreement about what should replace it. Many countries are now experimenting with new approaches to delivering care in ways that do meet the complex needs of people with chronic disorders, redesigning delivery systems to coordinate activities across the continuum of care. Yet while integration and coordination have an intuitive appeal, policy makers have had little to help them decide how to move forward. The book systematically examines some of the key issues involved in the care of those with chronic diseases. It synthesises the evidence on what we know works (or does not) in different circumstances. From an international perspective, it addresses the prerequisites for effective policies and management of chronic disease. Taking a whole systems approach, the book: Describes the burden of chronic disease in Europe Explores the economic case for investing in chronic disease management Examines key challenges posed by the growing complexity in healthcare including prevention, the role of self-management, the healthcare workforce, and decision-support Examines systems for financing chronic care Analyses the prerequisites for effective policies for chronic care Caring for People with Chronic Conditions is key reading for health policy makers and health care professionals, as well as postgraduate students studying health policy, health services research, health economics, public policy and management. Contributors: Reinhard Busse, Elisabeth Chan, Anna Dixon, Carl-Ardy Dubois, Isabelle Durand-Zaleski, Daragh K Fahey, Nicholas Glasgow, Monique Hejmans, Izzat Jiwani, Martyn Jones, Cécile Knai, Nicholas Mays, Martin McKee, Ellen Nolte, Thomas E Novotny, Joceline Pomerleau, Mieke Rijken, Dhigna Rubiano, Debbie Singh, Marc Suhrcke.

This book aims to redefine the requirements of an effective care for the chronic diseases, and their difficulties of implementation; to analyze the processes allowing to reinforce quality and to contain the costs and the expenditure related to this care; and to release the dynamic processes of development of an efficient care, the organisational forms and the corresponding strategies.

In this ground-breaking new work, Patrick J McEvoy connects with healthcare professionals, patients and illness to presenting an entirely new way to address chronic disease management.By reflecting on the very nature of chronic disease, rather than focusing on its consequences, the book sheds new light on the complex realities of general practice,

Managing Chronic Conditions: Optimizing Health Throughout Life The enormous burden currently posed by chronic disease in low-resource countries, and the realistic prospect that this burden will continue to increase, provide compelling reasons to rapidly address chronic illness from both a public health perspective and the impact on individual lives. This document is intended for FHI Country Office staff and other health program implementers in resource-limited areas and has two principal objectives: 1. To promote increased focus on chronic care and initiation of programmatic activities related to chronic conditions, including examination of needs and challenges related to the management of chronic illnesses within local contexts. 2. To describe technical approaches to assist in designing programs and interventions focusing on chronic conditions.

Filled with hundreds of tips, suggestions, and strategies, this guide offers practical medical solutions in clear language. It explains how to develop and maintain exercise and nutrition programs, manage symptoms, determine when to seek medical help, work effectively with doctors, properly use medications and minimize side effects, find community resources, discuss the illness with family and friends, and tailor social activities for particular conditions. Written by six medical professionals, this book encourages an individual approach to the process, with the ultimate goal being greater self-management. Originally based on a five-year study conducted at Stanford University with hundreds of volunteers, this work has grown to include the feedback of medical professionals and thousands of people with chronic conditions all over the world.

Self-management is a term that was used as early as the 1960s when it was applied during the rehabilitation of chronically ill children. Subsequently, self-management was applied as formalized programs for a variety of populations and health issues. In reflecting on self-management, it is important to note that it would be difficult for individuals not to be aware of their specific health behaviors, which could include unhealthy behaviors. As self-management has evolved, essential skills identified include behavioral modeling, decision making, planning, social persuasion, locating, accessing and utilizing resources, assisting individuals to form partnerships with their health care providers and taking action. These are key skills that would benefit health professional educators, clinicians and patients. This book, consisting of three parts, provides insights into the aspects of self-management as it relates to its definition and application. It highlights how self-management can be applied to various long-term health conditions, for different populations or target groups and in different contexts. The text provides an overview of self-management and the rationale for its applications by illustrating its use in specific clinical conditions and in different sub-populations and target groups. Academics can use the book as a textbook when teaching postgraduate and undergraduate students about self-management as a technique to facilitate community reintegration for individuals living with long-term conditions. It can also be used by clinicians to enhance their management of individuals with long-term conditions. Furthermore, researchers can use the text to expand and support their research in this area.