Quality of care for chronic illnesses
International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance
ISSN: 0952-6862
Article publication date: 21 March 2008
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to discover the extent to which evidence‐based practices and computer systems for managing chronic illness are used within Swedish primary health care.
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology was a replication of a similar national USA survey study and an interview study.
Findings
The findings show large variations and an under‐use of a number of evidence‐based care management practices and of IT for managing depression, heart disease, asthma, and diabetes in Sweden. Follow‐up interview studies with heads of primary care centres gathered their views about the factors which helped and hindered improving care and prevention for these patient groups.
Research limitations/implications
The study data identify actions which would significantly improve the quality of care for people suffering from chronic illnesses. Effective prevention and management of chronic illness in primary care can reduce unnecessary patient suffering and lower costs of care.
Originality/value
Evidence of effective methods for managing these illnesses has been reported, but it is not known how widely these methods or information technology are used in primary care outside the USA. The paper gives the first comprehensive nation‐wide data on the use of evidence‐based practices and computer systems for managing chronic illness in primary care in a European public health care system. It provides information allowing targeted actions which would improve quality of care which are low cost and high cost saving in the long term.
Keywords
Citation
Øvretveit, J., Gillies, R., Rundall, T.G., Shortell, S.M. and Brommels, M. (2008), "Quality of care for chronic illnesses", International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Vol. 21 No. 2, pp. 190-202. https://doi.org/10.1108/09526860810859049
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2008, Emerald Group Publishing Limited