Patient registries: a central component of the chronic care model.

Patient registries are a central component of the Chronic Care Model and research suggests that their use is associated with improved outcomes for patients with a range of chronic diseases. This article begins by outlining the case for using patient registries and it identifies some of the issues that need to be considered when setting up a registry. The second part of the article describes how a patient registry was used to support a newly established active case management service. The case study teases out some of the practical constraints and contextual factors that affected the development and implementation of patient registry. However it also highlights that the patient registry was highly valued by front line clinicians who used it, as it was an effective caseload and performance management tool.