Risk assessment and patient stratification using implantable medical devices. The funding for personal health programs

Chronic diseases are currently recognized as one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide. On top of this, these diseases represent a major burden for the healthcare systems in terms of costs and resources, which is driving them to define and adopt novel programs for prevention and chronic disease management. Still, many aspects of the processes of care and follow up of these patients remain unsolved and there is yet uncertainty on how technology can provide an added value to the current processes of care. This paper addresses the importance of the adoption of strategies for the anticipation to acute events within the disease management programs and suggests a holistic approach to embrace the healthcare organizations in the design development and implementation of the new personal health systems.