Chronic disease prevention and management: some uncomfortable questions.
Morgan, Zamora and Hindmarsh make a compelling case for a national strategy on chronic disease prevention and management. The truths raised in the lead paper are not particularly inconvenient, but they do raise a number of uncomfortable questions: (1) Why are physicians not taking a more responsible and active role to prevent and manage chronic diseases on behalf of their patients? (Physicians must recognize that it is their professional responsibility and their job to provide their patients with the appropriate level of care for chronic conditions.) (2) Why are non-physician healthcare providers not playing a larger role to prevent and manage chronic diseases? (3) Why is there a greater focus on managing chronic diseases than on preventing or delaying them from happening? (4) Have we forgotten the profound impact of the social determinants of health on illness, life expectancy and death?
Trypuc
Joann
J
Access to Services and Wait Times, Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Toronto, ON.
Hudson
Alan
A
D002170:Canada; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000191:economics / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy*; D019468:Disease Management; D015276:Health Care Rationing / Q000458:organization & administration; D006282:Health Personnel; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010819:Physician's Role; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration