How Chronic Care Management Helps Patients Stay Ahead in Their Health
Some illnesses don’t just resolve after a quick treatment or hospitalization. Many conditions can have lasting, detrimental effects on patients’ well-being, making ongoing medical care a necessity. Chronic illnesses affect millions of Americans each year, keeping them from accomplishing tasks as simple as driving to a doctor’s appointment or getting around their home. While these conditions have a negative impact on patients’ physical and mental well-being, a Medicare-covered service from Culbertson Memorial Hospital can help mitigate the effects and help patients maximize their quality of life.
About Chronic Diseases
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) define chronic diseases as those lasting more than a year that both require ongoing treatment and limit a patient’s daily life. These can include conditions such as heart disease, hypertension (i.e., high blood pressure), and diabetes. Chronic diseases are the leading causes of death and disability in the United States. The CDC reports 6 in 10 Americans have at least one chronic disease; 4 in 10 Americans have two or more.
What Causes Chronic Disease?
Because “chronic disease” is a broad term describing a variety of conditions that can be caused by an equally wide range of risk factors. Some common causes include:
- Smoking — Tobacco use causes more than 480,000 deaths each year in America. Additionally, more than 16 million Americans live with a chronic disease caused by smoking such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung disease, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Poor nutrition and physical activity — By now, you’re probably aware of the many benefits exercise and a healthy diet can have on your body. But did you know they can also help prevent some chronic diseases? Conditions like obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, and even depression can result from an unhealthy diet and not getting enough exercise.
- Excessive alcohol use — Drinking alcohol to excess can lead to many chronic conditions, including alcohol use disorder and learning, memory, and mental impairments. Alcohol abuse has also been linked to physical health conditions like hypertension, heart disease, liver disease, and cancer.
Quitting smoking, cutting back on alcohol consumption, eating a healthy diet, and getting at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week are all excellent ways to prevent a chronic disease from developing. For those already living with an ongoing medical condition, however, a local program can help manage chronic disease and improve their quality of life.
What Is Chronic Care Management?
Chronic care management is a Medicare-covered service providing ongoing, coordinated care for patients dealing with multiple chronic conditions. It streamlines patients’ access to care by creating partnerships between them and their providers. Additionally, chronic care management enables providers to create comprehensive healthcare plans, thereby improving their overall well-being.
Through chronic care management, a patient is assigned their own care coordinator, who works with the patient, family members, and caregivers to develop a care plan tailored to that patient’s specific needs and symptoms. Care coordinators help patients understand and manage their chronic conditions, which can vary by disease; for patients with diabetes, for example, coordinators may educate patients about insulin self-injections or blood sugar self-tests, while patients with hypertension may require assistance with blood pressure monitoring. Coordinators also help improve communication with the patient’s primary care provider, arrange transportation to and from appointments, find access to free or low-cost medications and medical aids, and review care plans. With the patient’s consent, coordinators may even attend medical visits with them.
Patients may qualify for chronic care management if they have two or more chronic conditions, a referral from their primary care provider, and coverage with a traditional Medicare or a Medicare Advantage plan. While providers may refer patients to chronic care management, the patient’s consent is required before they can be enrolled. Chronic care management may also be referred by the hospital, community health services, healthcare professionals, or self-referral.
Learn more about how chronic care management can impact your everyday life. Contact your primary care provider at the Culbertson Clinics to learn more or find out if you qualify for chronic care management from Culbertson Memorial Hospital. For more information, call (217) 322-4321.