One of the greatest challenges facing health systems in the 21st century is the need to address the growing burden of chronic diseases which are complex and require a long-term, multifaceted response.

This book examines the health system response to this rising burden in eight countries: Denmark, England, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Australia and Canada. It provides a detailed assessment of the current situation, a description of the policy framework and future scenarios, as well as evaluation and lessons learned.

With many health systems still largely built around an acute, episodic model of care, health professionals, policy-makers and patient organizations can learn valuable lessons from the many different strategies being implemented, and begin to develop effective responses to this common challenge.