Caring for people with chronic conditions

Caring for people with chronic conditions : a health system perspective, edited by Ellen Nolte and Martin McKee, has made available free online by the World Health Organisation.

"The complex nature of many chronic diseases, which affect people in many different ways, requires a multifaceted response that will meet the needs of the individual patient. The traditional relationship between an individual patient and a single doctor is inappropriate, yet there is little agreement about what should replace it. Many countries are experimenting with new approaches to delivering care in ways that meet the complex needs of people with chronic disorders, redesigning delivery systems to coordinate activities across the continuum of care. This book synthesises the evidence on what we know works (or does not) in different circumstances, and addresses the prerequisites for effective policies and management of chronic disease."

Published by Open University Press, European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies series, 2008, xxxii + 256 pages ISBN 978 0 335 23370 0