Computer Support for Shared Care of Diabetes: Findings from a Danish Case

摘要

Shared care has been announced as an effective model for care of chronic diseases. In the paper we discuss various facets of IT support for shared care of diabetes. Based on an empirical study of a project in Denmark we identify various challenges involved with IT support of shared care; structural problems and lack of attention to general practitioners' practice and to clarify the meaning of shared care in the actual project. We propose the importance of reaching agreement as to what is shared and we suggest a distinction between two levels of shared care: an epidemiological level where hospital specialists and national authorities need to monitor the disease based on data from the general practice; and a operational, daily level where the professionals dealing with an individual patient and the patient share information to help the patient deal with his/her situation on a everyday basis.