J. Kim Bollinger, RN, Nurse Coordinator, Cystic Fibrosis Center Lucile Salter Packard Children's Hospital, Stanford
Fall 1997
Cystic fibrosis is a complex multi-system disease that affects nearly 30,000 individuals in the United States. The past 40 years have demonstrated a dramatic increase in median survival rates. This improvement can be credited to early diagnosis and treatment. It is therefore essential that families have access to a health care system that offers optimal care. Health care delivery in the '90s is primarily governed through "managed-care," which requires education, self-management, careful planning, and self-advocacy on the part of patients. Also, patients must understand how the managed care system works if they are to receive the best possible care. A team approach where the patient, the family, and the medical practitioners all participate is an ideal method for successfully meeting one's health care needs.