DM LitFinder™ Database

The continued enhancement of disease management depends largely on incorporating lessons learned from peers in the design, development, implementation and assessment of care programs. Recognizing this, DMAA: The Care Continuum Alliance commissioned development of a user-friendly tool for the quick and efficient review of peer-reviewed literature on disease management's clinical, financial and humanistic outcomes: DM LitFinder™.

This Web-enabled, searchable database covers eight diseases and conditions, including:

Through DM LitFinder™, users can easily find well-designed, peer-reviewed studies that address frequently asked questions about outcomes, recommended interventions, study design, practice guidelines and other aspects of chronic disease care.

Background and Methodology

Because "disease management" is not an indexed Mesh term, DMAA: The Care Continuum Alliance developed LitFinder™ using its formal definition as a framework to identify appropriate literature. DMAA: The Care Continuum Alliance also enlisted former association president and Health & Technology Vector Inc. President Victor G. Villagra, MD, recognized for his expertise on the subject, to oversee the tool's development.

The process for finding peer-reviewed studies includes a search of MEDLINE, several reference databases, including the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, The American College of Physicians Journal Club, the Cochrane Central Register of Clinical Trials, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Office of the U.S. Surgeon General. Supplementing this exhaustive electronic search is a manual search of multiple review papers on the eight conditions. Only studies that reported outcomes were included. Learn more in this March 2007 update »

Access DM LitFinder™ (DMAA: The Care Continuum Alliance members only):

Note: DM LitFinder™ is intended for use as a research database for disease management programs and providers, not as a treatment guideline, plan of care or method of diagnosis or treatment by patients, physicians or consumers. It is intended to assist users in identifying literature about outcomes of disease management programs and does not constitute purchase, investment or medical advice.

Information contained in DM LitFinder™ represents a portion of the disease management literature. Omission of qualifying articles is unintentional and in no way reflects any judgment concerning the value of articles not contained in the database. DM LitFinder™ represents an interpretation of highly technical published literature and therefore different interpretations are possible. Users of DM LitFinder™ should always read the original articles and interpret the findings according to their own judgment. Neither DMAA nor HTV endorses any particular company, treatment or patient self-care modality described in the DM LitFinder™ database, and does not warrant the efficacy, validity, reliability or other methodological accuracy of any of the approaches or studies in the database.

Access and/or use of DM LitFinder™ are intended only for DMAA: The Care Continuum Alliance members, subscribers or other users specifically authorized by DMAA: The Care Continuum Alliance. Access to the database by unauthorized parties and/or commercial use of the database is prohibited.

DM LitFinder™ is a trademark of DMAA: The Care Continuum Alliance, 1999-