Population health management: Principles, models and areas of application in public health

There is no single model for Population Health Management (PHM) and different definitions have been proposed. All PHM models and definitions share the overall aim of improving population health and reduce healthcare costs. To achieve these objectives, PHM makes use of conceptual tools such as the Chronic Care Model and predictive medicine, and technical tools such as information systems and computational and record-linkage techniques to collect and analyse data. Using these tools, it makes it feasible to articulate PHM approaches in the following steps: identification of a population, stratification of individuals according to risk levels, mapping of health needs and development of targeted interventions and models of care. PHM has been applied in a variety of national and regional settings, proving to have great potential. However, the success of PHM models depends on a number of factors. In particular, few key points have emerged that must be taken into consideration when planning and implementing PHM programs. They include PHM funding schemes, strategies to ensure people adherence, the equity dimension in its multiple aspects, and the privacy of personal data. In addition to these challenges, there is the need to act in a legislative context appropriate to the implementation of PHM.