title: Assessment of Chronic Illness Care with the German version of the ACIC in different primary care settings in Switzerland.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In Switzerland the extent to which patients with chronic illnesses receive care congruent with the Chronic Care Model (CCM) is unknown.
  
  
  METHODS
  According to guidelines we translated the Assessment of Chronic Illness Care (ACIC) into German (G-ACIC). We tested the instrument in different primary care settings and compared subscales with the original testing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Difficulties encountered during the translation process consisted in the difference of health care settings in Switzerland and USA. However initial testing showed the G-ACIC to be a suitable instrument. The average ACIC subscale scores in Swiss managed care (MC)-, group (GP)- and single handed practices (SP) were higher for MC practices than for group- and single handed practices: Organization of the healthcare delivery system: MC mean (m) = 6.80 (SD 1.55), GP m = 5.42 (SD 0.99), SP m = 4.60 (SD 2.07); community linkages: MC m = 4.19 (SD 1.47), GP m = 4.83 (SD 1.81), SP m = 3.10 (SD 2.12); self-management support: MC m = 4.96 (SD 1.13), GP m = 4.73 (SD 1.40), SP m = 4.43 (SD 1.34); decision support: MC m = 4.75 (SD 1.06); GP m = 4.20 (SD 0.87), SP m = 3.25 (SD 1.59); delivery system design: MC m = 5.98 (SD 1.61), GP m = 5.05 (SD 2.05), SP m = 3.86 (SD 1.51) and clinical information systems: MC m = 4.34 (SD = 2.49), GP m = 2.06 (SD 1.35), SP m = 3.20 (SD 1.57).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The G-ACIC is applicable and useful for comparing different health care settings in German speaking countries. Managed care organizations seem to implement the different components of the CCM in a greater extend than group and single handed practices. However, much room exists for further improvement.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice and Health Services Research, University of Zurich, University Hospital of Zurich, Sonneggstrasse 6, CH-8091 Zürich, Switzerland. claudia.stey@usz.ch
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Steurer-Stey
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Frei
authors.forename: Gabriela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schmid-Mohler
authors.forename: Sibylle
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Malcolm-Kohler
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zoller
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rosemann
mesh_terms: D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000628:therapy*; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D011594:Psychometrics; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013557:Switzerland; D014175:Translating