Nurse-Directed Disease Management Program Improves Patients' Health
Evaluating an innovative disease management program for patients with multiple chronic conditions
From 1998 to 2002, researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine developed a home-based, nurse-directed system of care for people with multiple chronic conditions and tested it in a managed care clinic.
Key Findings
Researchers reported findings in an article published in the April 2003 Diabetes Care, including:
- The intervention significantly improved patients' diabetes and lowered cholesterol levels.
- Intervention patients did not increase their medical utilization.
- Both patients and physicians expressed great satisfaction with the program.
- There were no significant differences between intervention and control groups for any self-care or psychosocial factors.