Chronic Care in Belgium: Crafting Effective Care Plans for Improved Patient Outcomes and Experiences

Dagmar Annaert, Robrecht De Schreye, Sherihane Bensemmane

Keywords: chronic disease management; care plans; primary care; public health

Background:

The rising prevalence of chronic conditions poses a major public health challenge globally. In Belgium, approximately 30% of the population currently lives with one chronic condition or more, with this number expected to increase by 15% by 2030. To address this issue, there is a pressing need to shift from a paternalistic approach to one of patient empowerment, aiming to understand and meet patients' needs. The Belgian health care system offers various components for managing chronic conditions, including multidisciplinary teams, integrated care initiatives and some specialized chronic care programs for some conditions such as diabetes type II. However, chronic disease management in Belgium is still characterized by fragmented care and inefficiencies, predominantly burdened on primary care providers who handle routine follow-ups. The current system often fails to provide person-centered and cohesive care plans, leaving patients at risk, particularly those with chronic conditions.

Research questions:

How do primary health care providers and patients define essential elements that contribute to effective care plans for enhancing chronic care management?

Method:

The study employs focus groups and in-depth interviews to collect data. Purposeful sampling will be used to recruit participants, including health care providers and patients across various sociodemographic profiles and chronic conditions. Data collection will stop when data saturation is achieved. Thematic and comparative analysis will be used to identify essential elements and areas for improvement in care plans, as defined by the participants.

Results:

This study aims to reveal key findings from the thematic and comparative analysis, highlighting essential components of effective care plans and identifying existing gaps in the current system.

Conclusions:

The project aims to address the critical need for consistency and effectiveness of chronic care management, ultimately improving patient experiences and outcomes. The expected impact includes identification of areas of improvement to elevate the outcomes and experiences of patients with chronic conditions in Belgium.

Points for discussion:

Impact of practice characteristics and multidisciplinairy teams

Impact of socio-economonical status and health literacy of the patient

Integration of technology

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