Why You Should Read the Disease Management Care Blog

If you are among the hundreds of regular readers of the Disease Management Care Blog, you're already aware that:

...persons can use Second Life avatars to access information on health care. It seems to have started in Spain, but it's only now being reported here.

...it's not news that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce hasn't really endorsed a candidate for President. After all, who cares. What is news is that they apparently endorse 'open-sourcing' the entire Medicare claims data base. Regular readers are familiar with this concept thanks to a total of ten posts from the DMCB that examine the advantages of harnessing the independent judgment of collaborative crowds.

...the head of the Congressional Budget Office keeps a blog. You're right - so what, but in it, he endorses the incorporation of behavioral approaches to health care. This involves setting up systems of care that in turn take advantage of helping persons do the right thing. He doesn’t mention that’s at the core of Disease Management, but give him time. He posts regularly and will get around to it once he catches up and reads this.

...because you believe in 'systems' of care, you should apply on-line to be on the committee that judges candidates for the X-Prize in Health Care. The DMCB filled out the online application because it believes - along with many of its readers - that the award should be based on how well the proposal integrates and implements the multiple solutions already at hand, including disease management, the medical home, the electronic health record, other information technology solutions, novel insurance benefit designs, consumerism and patient as well as physician incentives.

And speaking of synergies, that the DMCB has been writing lots about the potential advantages of combining the best of the medical home and disease management. Well, the DMAA has published this White Paper on the topic. The DMCB suggests that even if you are a regular reader, this particular piece may be worth a look (even if it is the author). It examines the overlap between NCQA Disease Management accreditation on one hand and the NCQA PCC-PCMH recognition program on the other. If a physician practice takes full advantage of all the services offered by a disease management vendor, are they not also fulfilling many of the standards that define a medical home? Read it and decide for yourself.