By Barbara Porcelli
Population and epidemiologic development in the last 20 years in Italy, as in other countries, determined serious implications on the redefinition of healthcare and medical services’ organization.
Among the most severe implications of this change there is the gradual ageing of the population and an increase of both incidence and prevalence of chronic diseases, also called “non-transmissible” (or “non-communicable”) and “long-lasting and slow-progression”.
The World Health Organisation claims that the total amount of chronic diseases’ death will increase up to 55 million by 2030. In Europe, in 2005, chronic disease caused the loss of 115.34 million of DAILY. In Italy, according to ISTAT, 38.6% of people admit to have at least one of the principal chronic pathologies. In addition to the reduction of the infective pathologies’ general morbidity, these phenomena deeply change the needings of people in terms of health and the healthcare system is called to face it.
The larger part of cases of polypathology or multi-chronicity’s conditions, at which the patient who suffers from a chronic-disease is exposed, need an ongoing support which can provide specific charitable modalities based on the continuing assistance and taking charge of patients.
The solutions provided by the SSN (National Healthcare System) must offer an adequate response to the different levels of intensity and complexity of the clinical-care, by using an innovative approach typical of the Health Population Management (PHM) template.
The PHM aims to maintain good healthy condition of the population by facing the needs of the individual in terms of prevention and chronic-conditions care (IHT, 2012). The three pillars of the PHM are the identification, stratification and early taking charge of the target population, according to the need of health and severity of the condition (intensity of care), as well as the definition of a care pathway (PDTA) and settings in an integrated clinical network’s optical.
It is fundamental for the experts to acquire methods and tools of work which provide a correct interpretation of the context.
Barbara Porcelli is the Director of the First Level Master in Management of local health care services health-population-based of UniCamillus.
The main goal of this Master is to provide a specific knowledge to the reference professional as part of district local services for the individual’s care, whether healthy and/or fragile with chronic-disease, as well as their respective caregivers.
The Master is an essential learning step for the professional nurses who operate and/or would like to propose themselves for an advanced-skills role in their respective company, in order to take more and more responsibility on the management of chronic-disease, disability and stressful situations, both at home and in different local contexts (such as: primary local care area and at-home assistance, residential area, community’s assistance area, human services company).
The main goal is to convey to participants the knowledge and necessary tools for an analysis and evaluation of needs of the population’s health, as well as the management of the organizational and assistance process based on the Health Population Management, with an eye to the change of the SSN and SSR and future managerial strategies of company’s service and sustainability.