General Facts
Effective Disease Management
What is disease management?
In health systems, disease management is often viewed as the coordination
of healthcare provision to improve quality of care at a reduced cost. At the
patient level, disease management is the use of a comprehensive range of strategies
to manage and control a patient's condition. It frequently involves the management
of multiple diseases, especially in older patients. Australia's ageing population
is increasingly susceptible to chronic diseases where age is a direct or indirect
factor. Disease management at the system and patient level has been identified
as an essential tool to managing this potential disease burden.
Doesn’t disease management already occur in the healthcare system?
Disease management does take place in the healthcare system. However, it
often lacks coordination, consistency, funding, skills and resources for healthcare
providers to plan and implement appropriately.
What impact can disease management have on patient outcomes?
Disease management programs can be very successful in improving patient health.
The success of a particular program appears to depend upon the nature of the
disease and the quality of information and resources available. Further information
on the cost-effectiveness of particular healthcare interventions would enable
disease management programs to also improve cost control.
How can we improve disease management in Australia?
Management of a patient's condition is enhanced significantly if the patient
takes an active interest in their health. The starting point for this is more
effective disease information. Healthcare providers, such as a GPs, should
then be given responsibility and support for developing a care plan and coordinating
its implementation with the full involvement of the patient and other relevant
healthcare providers.
How can information technology enable disease management?
A single electronic health record for every patient would significantly improve
disease management across the healthcare system by allowing healthcare providers
to better understand a patient's health and treatment history. The Federal
Government is working toward this goal through its HealthConnect initiative.
Similarly, decision support software and the internet can significantly enhance
the ability of healthcare professionals to treat patients. These tools can
also be used to inform patients about their own conditions and assist them
in their management.
Pfizer Australia’s View of Disease Management?
Pfizer Australia is very supportive of efforts to improve patient outcomes.
Pfizer Australia is well placed to support the management of conditions through
patient education; improving diagnostic skills of doctors; helping patients
to maintain therapy, thereby reducing relapse and recurrence; and supporting
doctors in complications management.
What disease management initiatives has Pfizer Australia undertaken?
Pfizer Australia has contributed in numerous ways to disease management.
Working with expert advisory groups, we have created many patient videos -
some international award winning - on topical health issues. These videos discuss
the full range of treatment options, where appropriate, and are distributed
to patients free of charge. Pfizer Australia also provides patient information
booklets on disease states without charge through doctors' surgeries. Pfizer
Australia does not promote its products to patients in any of these publications
or videos.
Pfizer Australia has also created patient support programs, with the assistance
of medical advisory groups. Doctors enrol appropriate patients in these programs
and support is provided either through regular mailings or through a qualified
counsellor. Every year tens of thousands of patients participate in these programs
and feedback from them has been extremely positive.
By working with the Eyre Peninsula Division of General Practice, Pfizer Australia
has further endeavoured to help doctors use information technology efficiently
by developing a software program, "Eyre Care", that assists GPs in creating
care plans for patients.
These represent some of the many disease management activities undertaken
by Pfizer Australia which are having a positive impact on the health of Australians.
The Pfizer Australia View
- Effective disease management requires a focus on the patient rather than
the provider of health services.
- Initiatives such as HealthConnect, which coordinate patient records, enhance
the opportunity for disease management in the healthcare system.
- Decision support tools for healthcare professionals have the ability to
greatly improve the quality of care for patients.
- Companies such as Pfizer Australia can undertake programs which complement
disease management initiatives by governments, healthcare professionals and
consumer organisations.