Implications of disease management in the future of managed care.

Disease management holds the promise of profound improvement in the care presently delivered to sufferers of specific diseases and provides the potential for a marked reduction in both short- and long-term health care costs. It has created an excitement that has formed new partnerships, caused managed care organizations to alter their focus, and encouraged the pharmaceutical industry to spend its wealth of resources on the total well-being of the patient. The authors address the somewhat ambiguous definition of disease management and examine the essential elements required to successfully implement programs of this nature.