CHRONIC DISEASES account for seven of the top 10 causes
of death in the United States and are consuming 86
percent of its annual healthcare spending. (Kent, 2018)
These patients claim an outsized portion of healthcare
resources, and it’s not just in-facility treatments that run up
the costs. Often chronic conditions require the intervention
and aid of social workers and others who operate alongside
healthcare providers, creating a larger community of support
within the overall population. That care team must consider
the patient’s entire life, where they live and work, as well as
their access to exercise and quality food, to create a treatment
plan that is not only effective but practical (Kent, 2018).
Much work is now being done to target patients with a
particular chronic condition and treat them as a separate
population. This isn’t to isolate them, but rather to create
a way for their unique circumstances to be factored into
any treatment—hopefully building a scenario where they
are more likely to respond and cooperate. What would
that look like? In most every instance, a team-based
approach appears to be the most effective in terms of
expense and outcome:
of the CDC’s leading causes of death in the United States.
The same collaborative approach is being undertaken by
healthcare providers around the country, who are working
to engage patients and educate them on methodologies and
medications that can reduce and control their blood pressure.
COPD and Asthma
Another set of alarming numbers: The CDC says more
than 15 million Americans have received a chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease, or COPD, diagnosis, while asthma affects
another estimated 25 million individuals. Many of those with
COPD are older, and often smokers, so cessation is a big part
of their treatment as a population. There is also a growing
roster of programs designed to teach COPD and asthma
sufferers how to more accurately use inhalers and
other breathing devices in order to achieve maximum
treatment efficacy.
Depression/Mood Disorders
Diabetes
The CDC reports that more than 29 million Americans
currently live with diabetes, and another 84 million are
prediabetic. Many more are likely undiagnosed and,
therefore, untreated (Kent, 2018). All told, they represent
more than 20 percent of healthcare spending. Since these
patients are sometimes minorities or economically challenged,
providers have begun to create personalized adherence
plans in tandem with community, pharmacy, and public
health resources in order to improve adherence rates.
Those can include text messages and other tools to
boost non-office patient engagement and improve
outcomes (Kent, 2018).
Hypertension
One in three American adults suffers from hypertension,
which often tracks alongside heart disease and stroke, two
While depression may present on its own, the illness also
often turns up alongside another chronic disease as the
patient copes with the psycho-emotional challenges brought
on by a diagnosis. Often, that new information is not
accompanied with any kind of mental health screening
or treatment protocol, either of which could significantly
improve outcomes by allowing for mental health providers
to be engaged alongside their medical counterparts
(Bresnick, 2017).
No Magic Bullet, No Single Approach Method
Chronic disease management should be seen as something
to be individualized vs. trying to find that one great solution
to fix all ills. For instance, treating chronic conditions such
as diabetes is not simply a matter of getting patients to
cooperate with medical advice. Because of age, infirmity,
socioeconomic issues and more, effective treatment calls