Process and Results of Implementing Disease Management Program in Patients with First-time Ischemic Stroke

Background: This study aimed to examine the effect of disease management program (DMP) on the patients with first-time ischemic stroke (IS). Methods: A DMP with 4 parts of performance indicators (PIs, including outpatient, emergency department, inpatient and follow-up treatment) was implemented in patients with stroke in 2 hospitals (Hospital T and R) in Shanghai China from 2007-2010. The effect of DMP on the outcome of IS patients was analyzed according to the criteria of the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). Furthermore, the total effective rate of DMP, average length of stay, hospitalization cost, and cost-effectiveness ratio (CER) between DMP and non-DMP patients were calculated, followed by the cost-effectiveness analysis. Results: The total effective rate of DMP (T: 69.9%; R: 76.6%) was significantly (P