Improving care for people living with chronic diseases: Innovative examples from Spain

Purpose Many countries around the world have been undertaking initiatives to promote the improvement of care for people with chronic diseases. The purpose of this article is to showcase some of the innovations developed in Spain, with emphasis on the societal burden of chronicity and the emergent challenge of polypathology. Methods The database of the Observatory of Innovative Practices on Complex Chronic Disease Management (known in Spanish as OPIMEC and available at www.opimec.org) was used to identify innovations in Spain. Those that met five requirements were selected for this article. The person in charge of each innovation selected was contacted and asked to provide further information. All data gathered were organized in a similar way to facilitate a better understanding. Findings Six out of 45 potentially eligible innovations were selected. The innovations are related to strategies, predictive tools, case management, home care and patient education. Conclusion The innovations showed in this article are breaking ground in the Spanish National Health System. They appear to be improving chronic disease management, while transforming current healthcare delivery models.