title: [Care of the chronically ill: strategic challenge, macro-management and health policies].
abstract: The prevalence of chronic diseases is increasing, with the patients who suffer from them having greater need for healthcare. This fact forces a redirection in the health system, currently focused on the acute diseases, to achieve an efficient care. For this reason, it is necessary to work at all levels, starting with political decisions. These decisions should be based on the technical and scientific evidence available. Health planning is essential to establish care strategies, defining the actions to ensure the coordination and continuity of care, and also the redefinition of professional roles, where primary care nurses assume more competencies, becoming key professionals in the care of the chronic patient. The new model should include the professionalization of the management of health services. Information and communication technologies will play an important role in the development of strategies, but considering them as the tools that they are, allowing for the patient to be the focus of attention, and ensuring the privacy and the confidentiality.
authors.affiliation: Atención Primaria de Mallorca, Unitat Bàsica Badia Gran, (C.S. Trencadors), Llucmajor, Illes Balears, España. Electronic address: patgompic@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gómez-Picard
authors.affiliation: Atención Primaria de Mallorca, Unitat Bàsica Badia Gran, (C.S. Trencadors), Llucmajor, Illes Balears, España.
authors.forename: Juli
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fuster-Culebras
mesh_terms: D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000451:nursing*; D006285:Health Planning; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans
keywords: Administración sanitaria; Chronic disease; Competencia profesional; Continuidad de la atención al paciente; Continuity of patient care; Enfermedades crónicas; Evidence-based practice; Health planning; Health services administration; Planificación sanitaria; Professional competence; Práctica basada en la evidencia