Chronic Disease Management in B.C.

Chronic disease management (CDM) is an approach to health care that emphasizes helping individuals maintain independence and keep as healthy as possible through prevention, early detection, and management of chronic conditions, such as congestive heart failure, asthma, diabetes, and other debilitating illnesses.

Chronic conditions impose challenges for those affected, their families and care providers. A patient's ability to follow medical advice, accommodate lifestyle changes, and access resources are all factors that influence successful management of an ongoing illness.

In B.C., chronic disease management involves many health professionals and administrators within all sectors of the health system sharing a common vision and collaborating on several initiatives. They support health service delivery to patients living with long-term and life-threatening illnesses, and assist them with developing self-management strategies.

In a 2001 survey (PDF 131Kb), B.C. physicians identifed the following diseases as priorities for chronic disease management development:

• diabetes
• hypertension
• congestive heart failure
• asthma
• chronic lung disease
• depression
• renal failure
• liver disease
• rheumatoid and osteoarthritis
• dementia

Objectives

The objectives of chronic disease management in B.C. are:

• To initiate the staged implementation of chronic disease management strategies in B.C.
• To develop a number of products and initiatives to support and measure the improvements in care for people with chronic diseases, such as asthma, diabetes, congestive heart failure and depression, within current budgetary levels.
• To pursue technological innovations for providing increased access to health information and services.

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Last Revised: February 14, 2007