Return on Investment in Disease Management: A Review

The results of 44 studies investigatingfinancial impact and return on investment(ROI) from disease management (DM) pro-grams for asthma, congestive heart failure(CHF), diabetes, depression, and multipleillnesses were examined. A positive ROI wasfound for programs directed at CHF andmultiple disease conditions. Some evidencesuggests that diabetes programs may savemore than they cost, but additional studiesare needed. Results are mixed for asthmamanagement programs. Depression man-agement programs cost more than they savein medical expenses, but may save moneywhen considering productivity outcomes.