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Program decreased hospital admission for heart disease, diabetes
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Chronic disease management programs have been developed in Australia to cut unnecessary health care usage caused by the rising population with chronic diseases. In an evaluation of the program, known as My Health Guardian, researchers reported significant improvements to the health care system. The findings were published in the journal Population Health Management.
The retrospective study compared members in the My Health Guardian program (MHG; n=5,053) with similar members not participating in the program (n=23,077) for a period of 12 or 18 months.
According to data, hospital admission rates were significantly more likely to improve at 12 months and 18 months for the treatment group compared with the comparison group, for patients with heart disease and diabetes (P≤.01). The magnitude of this effect increased at 18 months, researchers added.
The researchers wrote that MHG was an effective, consistent way to reduce the prevalence and duration of hospitalizations for individual patients with diabetes and heart disease.
“Another significant implication of this study is the successful adaptation of a program model pioneered in the United States to improve outcomes in the context of the Australian culture and health care system,” James Pope, MD, FACC, researcher, vice president and chief science officer at Healthways, said in a press release. “We were very pleased with the rates of participation among [Hospitals Contributions Fund] members and the program’s strong outcomes. These results suggest comprehensive chronic care programs could be adopted by other countries that are experiencing rising prevalence of chronic disease along with the significant accompanying increase in medical expenditures and decrease in quality of life.”
Disclosure: Five of the six researchers are employees of Healthways, the provider of the disease management services under study and the sponsor of the research. Shaun Larkin, HlthScD, is an employee of Hospital Contributions Fund, the health insurance company that offers the disease management services under study.
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