Toward A Strategic Application of Information Systems and Technology for Disease Management in Health Care

Health care in the United States faces an uncertain future with the rising costs of care, the growth of the aging population, the chronic health conditions associated with the aging, and a predicted shortage in the physician workforce, among other issues. Health care costs are rising at an annual rate of 13% to 15%; health insurance premiums continue to rise at an incredible rate as well. The number of persons living with chronic conditions is expected to increase by nearly 20% during the next ten to fifteen years; while at the same time there is an impending shortage of physicians due to a number of factors affecting the physician workforce, including a desire by many young physicians to reduce their workloads. What does this mean for the quality of health care that will be available and the cost of care in the coming years? A number of emerging concepts and emerging technologies may be able to help address these issues. Among these concepts and emerging technologies are disease management programs, which have been touted to be an effective approach to reducing costs and improving patient health. This paper aims to review the literature for an overview and relevance of disease management vis-à-vis physician shortage, to highlight several barriers to organizational adoption of disease management; to outline information technology utilized in program management and delivery; and to propose areas for future research.