Clinical Guidelines
UniCare HMO conducts disease management programs for diabetes, asthma, and congestive heart failure (CHF). These programs are based on guidelines that have been developed by nationally recognized organizations, and then approved by UniCare's Guidelines and Care Process Subcommittee (GCPS). When revisions are made to the guidelines on a national level, they are then reviewed and approved by the GCPS, which includes network practitioners. The following guidelines were approved by the GCPS in February 2003:
- Diabetes: ADA Clinical Practice Recommendations 2003, as published in the January 2003 Supplement 1 to Diabetes Care. These guidelines can be found on the internet at www.diabetes.org.
- Asthma: NAEPP Expert Panel Report 2: Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma, 1997, and the Update on Selected Topics, 2002. These guidelines can be found on the internet at www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/asthma.
- CHF: ACC/AHA Guidelines for the Evaluation and Management of Chronic Heart Failure in the Adult, as published in Circulation 2001;104:2996-3007. These guidelines can be found on the internet at www.acc.org and at www.americanheart.org.
These guidelines are for educational purposes only, and are not the practice of medicine, nor a substitute for independent medical judgment. Physicians are instructed to exercise their own independent medical judgment based upon each patient's health care needs. If you would like a copy of the approved clinical guidelines for diabetes, asthma, or CHF, please call the Quality Management Department at (312) 234-7315.
