The ICIUM 2011 Chronic Care track concentrates on aspects related to medicines for chronic conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, psychiatric disorders and cancer, among others. Submission of abstracts on policies to increase access to medicines; results of pharmacoepidemiology studies; development and implementation of clinical guidelines; innovative tools and techniques to improve quality of drug use and adherence to guidelines; therapeutic options such as the “poly-pill”; and studies addressing users’ perspectives regarding long-term drug utilization such as adherence, safety, and affordability is encouraged. Health information technology to facilitate and monitor prescribing, dispensing and safety of medicines use in patients with chronic diseases are also relevant, as are health systems technologies which promote equitable access, with a focus on women and on the poor.

In particular, as the conference progresses, work on the following will be discussed:

1 – GLOBAL AND REGIONAL ISSUES 

This area will focus on the global policies to increase equitable access to and improve quality us of medicines for chronic diseases. This will include research that addresses the following questions and topics: 

• Are some chronic diseases too costly to be treated in developing countries?
  
• The role of insurance coverage to increase access to medicines for treatment of chronic diseases
  
• Supply chain challenges: the role of the private sector, aligning incentives of different stakeholders
  
• Evaluations of policies and programs to increase access to chronic care medicines (global, regional or national)
  
• Linking access with use: How can strategies to increase access be successfully linked with strategies to improve adequate use?
  
• Overcoming access barriers for controlled medicines (i.e., narcotics)
  
• Does quality use depend on the access to quality laboratories for drug therapy monitoring, and how can quality use including laboratory monitoring of pharmacotherapy be improved in low resource settings?

2 – NATIONAL SYSTEMS, PROGRAMS AND POLICIES  

This area will focus on national programs and policies related to the treatment of chronic conditions. A topic of particular interest is the development and implementation of clinical guidelines. This area will include research on: 

• Process of clinical guidelines development: Who needs to be involved and how? How can development and implementation of clinical guidelines be a coordinated effort at national level?
  
• Implementation and updating of clinical guidelines: planning of implementation, overcoming implementation barriers
  
• Involving the fee-for-service sector in the process and implementation of clinical guidelines
  
• Educational training and incentives for improving the use of clinical guidelines
  
• Impacts of the use of clinical guidelines on the process and quality of care: What data sources are available for continuous monitoring of guidelines adherence? What are effects on costs, infrastructure, human resources etc.?

3 – HEALTH CARE AND FINANCING INSTITUTIONS

This area will focus on improving medicines use for chronic conditions through policies and programs in health care and health care financing institutions. A topic of great interest is health information technology to facilitate and monitor prescribing, dispensing and safety of medicines use in patients with chronic diseases. The area will include the research on: 

• Efficient, practical information technology to improve chronic care, including o Electronic health records, IT-based clinician tools to improve adherence to guideline-based therapy o Electronic devices to improve adherence for patients with chronic illnesses
  
• Indicators to measure quality use and the role of health IT to gather information: Improving quality of care through benchmarking within and across systems
  
• Use of HIT for clinician, organization decision making and research activities
  
• Continuity of care – what are the particular challenges for fragmented health care systems in relation to pharmacotherapy
  
• The cost of non-adherence to health care and medical insurance systems

4 – HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS  

This area will focus on issues that affect how health providers prescribe or dispense medicines for chronic conditions. In particular, we are interested in innovative tools and techniques to improve quality of drug use and adherence. The area will include research on: 

• Improving adherence through innovative delivery systems: The “poly-pill”
  
• Chronic care model: is the answer to improve quality of drug use and adherence a radical change in the organization of health systems in low and middle-income countries?
• Long-term educational interventions: How to be sustainable and affordable?
  
• Incentives for providers to improve quality of long-term drug use: Apart from financial incentives what works in low resource settings? What are incentives for pharmacies, drug sellers?
  
• Innovative pharmaceutical care: the role of pharmacists and other health care professionals

5 – CONSUMERS, PATIENTS AND COMMUNITY SYSTEMS 

This area will address users’ perspectives regarding long-term medicines access and utilization. This would include research about: 

• Sustainable patient education: How can patient and caregivers’ education be more successful and sustainable?
  
• Medium, long-term support needs to improve quality drug use and adherence: What are the gaps and how can they been closed? Particular needs of elderly people, women, the poor
  
• Participatory quality improvement programs: patient support groups
  
• Independent, up-to-date medicines information for patients with chronic diseases: what are the essentials in low resource settings to successfully provide information? How critical do consumers read medicines information? How can consumers take part in providing independent information?
  
• The cost of non-adherence for patients and the public