Literature Review

Abstract

Chronic care management programs have emerged as a promising model to improve both quality of care and clinical outcomes for individuals living with chronic disease. However, despite their gaining popularity, evidence targeting the specific characteristics that contribute to a program's effectiveness remains underdeveloped. Sochalski and colleagues attempt to address this knowledge gap by focusing on heart failure and specifically investigate how program delivery methods affect patient outcomes.Using data from 10 randomized clinical trials that tested the effects of chronic care management programs for heart failure patients recently discharged from a hospital, the study explores 2 critical program features: delivery personnel and method of communication. Compiling the program methodologies from the previously reported trials, delivery personnel were categorized as either a single heart failure expert with clinical expertise in cardiology and heart failure or a multidisciplinary team, whereas method of communication was categorized as either telephonic or in person. This dichotomous classification of the 2 variables produced 3 separate delivery methodologies: single heart failure expert and telephonic communication, single heart failure expert and in-person communication, and multidisciplinary team and in-person contact. The multidisciplinary approach with telephonic communication was not assessed by any of the 10 trials and, therefore, was unable to be analyzed.