The main objective of chronic disease management South Charleston is to maintain consistent care for patients with chronic conditions to strengthen their quality of life and prevent the illness from becoming more risky or life-threatening. Chronic disease care and management entail more than treating the patient’s symptoms. A team of health professionals, referred to as allied health professionals, collaborates closely with the patient, their family, and their primary physician to enhance patient outcomes through routine visits, healthy weight management, and other possible treatments.
Additionally, patient education is an important component of chronic disease management. This ensures that individual patients and their families benefit from self-management support, which entails taking medications, keeping track of any unusual symptoms, and adhering to the doctor’s other treatment plans. Setting up self-management programs will improve the effectiveness of care a person with a chronic medical condition receives and lower mortality rates among patients with chronic medical conditions.
Understanding chronic disease management
Disease management is a health strategy that teaches sick people how to manage chronic diseases. Patients are taught to accept responsibility for recognizing how to care for themselves. Also, they learn to avoid possible issues and the aggravation or exacerbation of their health condition.
The advantages of chronic disease care and management
People with type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or other medical illnesses requiring complex care can benefit from enrolling in a chronic disease management program, which allows them to receive better care. Patients are supervised by primary care professionals from various multidisciplinary teams in addition to routine doctor’s appointments. A chronic disease self-management program can be given in various healthcare settings, such as hospitals, community health centers, rehabilitation clinics, and even at the patient’s home. Disease management programs may improve physical and mental health outcomes, lower medical costs, and lower mortality rates in patients with chronic conditions. Indeed, studies show that disease management programs, among other things, have enhanced clinical outcomes in patients with high blood pressure, diabetes, heart failure, kidney problems, asthma, and COPD.
Common chronic diseases
Chronic diseases affect a person for a long time and do not heal or go away. These chronic diseases can last anywhere from a few years to a lifetime. These conditions are particularly challenging to cope with because, in many cases, patients must learn to live with them rather than find a permanent cure. Many chronic or long-term conditions are triggered by lifestyle habits such as smoking, eating an unhealthy diet, not exercising, or drinking too much alcohol. Moreover, the most common ones are as follows:
- Coronary artery disease.
- Lung cancer.
- Chronic kidney disease.
- Asthma.
- Bowel cancer.
- Arthritis.
- Type 2 diabetes.
- Depression.
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Stroke.
- Osteoporosis.
- Ulcerative colitis.
- Hypothyroidism.
- Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS).
Nevertheless, it is helpful to understand that chronic disease management is a clinical practice that integrates standard primary care with allied health services. Call Patel & Patel, M.D., Inc., or schedule a meeting today to learn more about the benefits of chronic disease management.
