By Meghan McGowan
Read Time: 4 mins.
Chronic diseases are the leading cause of illness, disability, and death in America, with 75% of adults having at least one chronic condition and 50% with two or more. Conditions like heart disease, cancer, and kidney disease are on the rise and are affecting people more severely with each passing year.
Chronic Disease Month reminds us of the importance of addressing the issues that cause these conditions, and of pushing our healthcare system to evolve and change.
Dynarex physician care supplies help care teams support their patients through chronic illness.
Chronic Disease: An Overview
Chronic diseases are long-term medical conditions that usually develop gradually and require ongoing care to manage symptoms and slow progression. Although age and genetics can increase risk, many chronic diseases are also linked to modifiable factors such as diet, physical activity, tobacco use, and blood pressure.
These risks do not exist in isolation, however. Environment and resources can profoundly influence a patient’s ability to make healthy choices and manage chronic conditions effectively.
Social Understanding: Addressing Risk Factors
Research shows that patients’ living conditions and daily circumstances can significantly influence their ability to make healthy lifestyle choices and manage chronic disease. Around the world, patients from low-income households, those with limited formal education, or those living in underserved or remote communities are statistically at much higher risk of chronic health conditions. These factors are called social determinants of health (SDOH).
Certain SDOH are heavily associated with increased risk of chronic health conditions. For example, long hours and overwork are associated with higher rates of chronic illness tied to lack of time to cook healthy meals, exercise, or get adequate sleep, and high levels of stress driving alcohol and tobacco use. Food deserts have a serious impact on quality of diet, which also affects chronic illness risk.
By recognizing these barriers, healthcare providers can develop more realistic care plans and connect patients with resources that support healthier outcomes.
Common strategies include:
- Screening: Many government agencies and industry leaders recommend using SDOH screening tools to assess patients and gain a better understanding of their situation and needs.
- Social Prescribing: Social prescribing is a care model that enables health professionals to prescribe non-clinical community activities — including the arts, movement, and nature — to improve patient health at minimal cost. It’s designed specifically to address social determinants of health.
- Resource Recommendations: Healthcare providers can direct patients to local and federal resources, from assistance programs for housing, food, or finances to gym membership discounts and community garden co-ops. Organizations like the American Academy of Family Physicians and the Healthy People 2030 project provide guidance on identifying available resources and connecting patients with appropriate support.
Working Together: Shifting Care Models
Today, care models are shifting toward an approach that includes many different team members, including the patients themselves. Care team approaches, where multiple providers interface directly regarding a patient’s overall health, have shown promising results with chronic conditions. For instance, a patient with diabetes has a lot to gain from their general provider, endocrinologist, and dietician all coordinating on their treatment plan rather than working separately.
Connected Care: The Rise of Digital Health
Wearable health technology is making it easier for patients to take an active role in their own health, while giving providers access to continuous health data between office visits. The variety of rings, watches, bands, and glucose monitors on the market continuously track important health metrics, including heart rate, activity levels, sleep quality, and blood sugar. The benefits of these devices, especially when healthcare providers have access to their data, can include:
- Helping to assess the effect of fitness regimens on resting heart rate
- Showing warning signs of cardiac episodes
- Predicting impending viral infections like a cold or the flu, which can aggravate chronic respiratory conditions
- Showing the early signs of blood sugar spikes and valleys
- Providing data for clinicians to use in prescribing and evaluating medications
While this technology is still in its infancy, it is already changing how doctors and patients go about managing chronic illnesses.
Health is Wealth: The Future of Chronic Illness Care
Chronic disease continues to be a major national challenge, but the outlook is far from hopeless. Greater emphasis on prevention, increasing recognition of social determinants of health, more collaborative care models, and advances in digital health technology are giving healthcare providers more tools than ever to improve long-term outcomes and help patients live healthier lives.
Explore Dynarex physician care supplies today!