INFORMATION FOR
HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS
Why Disease Management?
Disease Management supports the physician/patient relationship and provides solutions for a focused plan of care. Disease Management also emphasizes prevention of complications by utilizing evidence-based guidelines and patient empowerment strategies. In addition, Disease Management evaluates clinical, humanistic, and economic outcomes on an ongoing basis with the goal of improving healthcare.1
Disease Management encompasses integrated care across all disciplines. Every component of patient care is tracked by a dedicated information system. The key to the program's success is the VillageHealth Nurse (VHN), a local nurse with many years of experience in renal disease. This individual coordinates care across all disciplines and expedites necessary referrals for services and assists with insurance requirements (such as prior authorization). With rapid attention to patient needs, there is a significant reduction in hospital admissions, hospital length of stay, and emergency department visits. Patient health status stabilizes and may improve as we become more familiar with the patient's total physical and psychosocial needs.
Why Disease Management Makes Sense for Renal Patients
CKD is now a national epidemic that affects almost 20 million Americans. This includes over 300,000 ESRD patients, currently on dialysis or with a functioning kidney transplant, most of whom also have multiple comorbid conditions. VillageHealth Disease Management can coordinate the total care of the kidney disease patient, including care among other healthcare specialties, for more efficient and effective patient outcomes.
Since 2000, the overall incident rate of ESRD has been leveling off, even decreasing slightly in 2003. However, the rates for the elderly have risen 87%, and the incident rate for African Americans is nearly four times higher than the rate for whites and twice as high as the rate in the Native American population. The number of new cases of ESRD is still well above the target number established by the United States Healthy People 2010 initiative.
Kidney Disease Continuum
In addition, ESRD caused by hypertension and diabetes rose between 1993 and 2003, although it has leveled off more recently; the incident rate is expected to rise again based upon the increased prevalence of diabetes in the general population.1
VillageHealth Disease Management can provide seamless care for this growing, difficult-to-treat patient population.
Reference:
- US Renal Data System. USRDS 2006 Annual Data Report: Atlas of End-Stage Renal Disease in the United States. Bethesda, Md: National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases; 2006.
