A nurse-led model of chronic disease management in general practice: Patients' perspectives

Background Evidence suggests that current models of chronic disease management within general practice are not effective in meeting the needs of the community. Objective The objective of this article is to examine patients' perceptions of a nurse-led collaborative model of care trialled in three general practices in Australia. Method This article reports on the second phase of a mixed-methods study in which semi-structured interviews with purposively selected patients were conducted to elicit information about their perceptions of nurse-led care. Results Three themes emerged from the data time, ambiance and dimensions of the nurse role. Discussion The results suggest that general practice nurses had a positive impact on patients' ability to manage their chronic disease. This infers that there is scope for general practice nurses to expand their role in chronic disease management to assist patients to better self-manage their chronic diseases.