The Article in Brief

The Missing Link: Improving Quality With a Chronic Disease Management Intervention for the Primary Care Office

John Zweifler, MD, MPH

Background This essay encourages primary care offices to add staff dedicated to working with chronically ill patients. According to the author, chronic disease management workers can improve the quality of care for patients with chronic diseases and increase the satisfaction of both doctors and patients by offering self-management support, maintaining disease registries, and monitoring patients’ compliance with their treatment programs. They also can provide the missing link by connecting patients, families, and doctors with disease management services available through health plans or in the community. California’s well-established Comprehensive Perinatal Services Program offers a payment model for reimbursing primary care offices for defined chronic disease management services.