Pennsylvania Panel Releases Chronic Illness Care Delivery Plan
The Pennsylvania Chronic Care Management, Reimbursement and Cost Reduction Commission on Wednesday announced a program that aims to train family physicians and health clinics to help people manage their chronic conditions, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Under the plan, family physicians and other clinicians will be encouraged to create a team-oriented system that would help change patient behaviors, for example, through providing basic education and calling patients who miss appointments or tests. In addition, an electronic patient registry system will be developed to track the delivery of care and alert physicians to patient treatment needs. The system will be provided at no cost to primary care physicians. The program is expected to be launched in May, beginning with an intensive "learning collaborative" among 50 to 100 caregivers in the Philadelphia area.
Gov. Ed Rendell (D) hopes the plan will help people who have chronic conditions become healthier, live longer and have fewer hospitalizations. He also said he hopes the plan will save the state money, which could be used to expand health insurance to the 800,000 uninsured Pennsylvania residents (Goldstein, Philadelphia Inquirer, 2/13).
