Chronic Care in America

In June, the National Council on Aging met with health leaders and policy experts to discuss the state of chronic care in America in the context of healthcare reform (read press release). Chronic disease accounts for more than 75 percent of the nation's $2 trillion medical care costs.  
 
According to Jane Sarasohn-Kahn, health economist, management consultant and founder of THINK-Health, participatory health, or programs that involve patients in their own care, are an important component in chronic health management and will help reduce healthcare costs.

Sarasohn-Kahn says chronic disease is most effectively managed through frequent, near continuous monitoring. Yet many patients spend only a few minutes a year with their clinicians. The National Council on Aging reports that a third of all chronically ill people say they leave a doctor's office or hospital feeling confused about what they should do to manage their disease, and 57% report that their providers have not asked whether they have anyone to help implement a care plan at home.
 
At the June briefing in Washington, Kate Lorig, RN, DrPH and director of the Stanford Patient Education Research Center at Stanford University told participants that aspects of the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) have demonstrated impressive health benefits in states and communities around the country. Lisa Alecxih, vice president of The Lewin Group, a health and human services consultancy, noted significant cost-savings derived from the CDSMP and other evidence-based health promotion programs that are delivered in non-clinical, community settings.
 
Fortunately, technology is helping to bridge the gap between patient care in the doctor's office and patient care that takes place outside the doctor's office.
 
In early September, Sarasohn-Kahn submitted a report to the California Healthcare Foundation, Participatory Health: Online and Mobile Tools Help Chronically Ill Manage Their Care. Sarasohn-Kahn says as the cost and availability of mobile and online tools improve, and electronic health records proliferate, it will provide a real opportunity for home care agencies and others to be more productive, more efficient and to have more time to care for patients.
 
Sarasohn-Kahn will discuss this report in more detail in an upcoming issue of HCAR.