Health Promotion International Advance Access published online on September 22, 2008
Health Promotion International, doi:10.1093/heapro/dan030
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Article |
Transferring disease management and health promotion programs to other countries: critical success factors
1UK Pfizer Health Solutions, Walton-on-the-Hill, Surrey, UK 2European Pfizer Health Solutions, UK 3Pfizer Health Solutions, Santa Monica, USA 4Health Services Management Centre, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
* Corresponding author. E-mail: Pejman.Azarmina{at}pfizer.com
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Abstract |
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Governments and health service providers around the world are under pressure to improve health outcomes while containing rising healthcare costs. In response to such challenges, many regions have implemented services that have been successful in other countries—but ‘importing’ initiatives has many challenges. This article summarizes factors found to be critical to the success of adapting a US disease management and health promotion programme for use in Italy and the UK. Using three illustrative case studies, it describes how in each region the programme needed to adapt (i) the form and content of the disease management service, (ii) the involvement and integration with local clinicians and services and (iii) the evaluation of programme outcomes. We argue that it is important to implement evidence-based practice by learning lessons from other countries and service initiatives, but that it is equally important to take into consideration the ‘3Ps’ that are critical for successful service implementation: payers, practitioners and patients.
Key words: disease management; health promotion; telehealth; dissemination of innovation