Instrument

Developing an Instrument to Measure Heart Failure Disease Management Program Intensity and Complexity

Chronic illnesses affect nearly half the U.S. population, and their incidence is especially high among the elderly. Disease management programs can help improve health outcomes for patients with chronic conditions while also reducing hospitalizations and costs. Focusing on heart failure, Commonwealth Fund–supported researchers developed and tested a tool to compare these programs' relative intensity and complexity—that is, the frequency, duration, and number of interventions they involve. The tool is available as a PDF and requires Adobe Reader.