Intermediate care as a solution for managing chronic diseases: The Stroke Care program in Emilia Romagna (Italy)

Introduction Chronic conditions represent an urgent health-care challenge for three main reasons: 1) their frequency is increasing all over the world, mainly as a result of longer life expectancy; 2) they require complex, long-term response that goes beyond the acute-care hospital setting; and 3) they place a heavy burden on health-care systems. Materials and methods The authors conducted a critical review of the literature to obtain an overview of the theoretical frameworks and strategies that have been developed to tackle chronic diseases, with special emphasis on intermediate care. Results Several frameworks and models of care delivery for people with long-term conditions were frequently discussed in the literature. Thus far, however, no consensus has been reached on the definition of intermediate care. The authors report the experience of the Stroke Care program in the Emilia Romagna Region of Italy as an example of integrated care delivery. Discussion The management of chronic diseases is considered a priority. Although there is no consensus definition of the term intermediate care, the authors attempted to highlight its main characteristics. Their analysis of the Stroke Care program provides an illustration of how theory and practice are combined.