Chronic Disease Management Strategies for Quality Living and Self-Care
Chronic disease management is a key element of effective health outcomes. It involves a variety of clinical resources, including support groups, nutritionists, chaplains, and physical therapists. These interventions can improve patient outcomes and satisfaction.
Self-management includes a range of tasks and skills that encompass emotional processing, adjusting, and integrating illness into daily life. This can help individuals better cope with their illnesses and achieve a sense of control over their care.
Team-based care
The guiding principle behind team-based care is to give patients the tools they need to manage their health. This can be done by implementing a plan of action that includes a trusted care team, self-management strategies and access to community support services. This model will help reduce the physical, emotional and social consequences of chronic illness for individuals and their families.
The goal is to help patients manage their symptoms and achieve the best possible quality of life. This can be achieved by incorporating a holistic approach to managing the disease, including lifestyle changes and patient education. It is also important to make sure that a patient’s needs are being met. For example, a person living in a food desert will have trouble adhering to a specific diet, while an individual with financial problems may struggle to pay for their medications.
People with chronic conditions can join self-management support groups to gain the knowledge and confidence to be their own advocate. These groups can be accessed in person or online.
Self-care
Many people who live with chronic diseases struggle to manage their care and maintain a good quality of life. They may have trouble keeping up with appointments, eating well, and getting enough sleep. They also have to keep up with their medication. Self-care strategies can help them do these things.
It’s important for patients to learn as much as they can about their condition and how to manage it. They should be able to communicate with their healthcare team and ask questions when they need help. It’s also important to practice healthy lifestyle habits, like eating a nutritious diet and exercising regularly.
Disease management programs are proactive, organized sets of interventions designed to meet the needs of a defined population of patients with conditions for which self-care is important. These programs can provide support for health care professionals in their efforts to promote self-care. They can also help patients take a more active role in their care and treatment.
Medication management
While there are many different treatment modalities to manage chronic conditions, prescription medications play a vital role in most patients’ care. Diabetic patients, for example, often require a complex medication regimen to manage their disease, with many medications both directly treating their disease (such as insulin) and helping to prevent downstream complications (such as statins).
A trusted care team that understands a patient’s condition, medication and need for adherence is essential to improving quality of life. In addition, ensuring that a patient can afford their medications is a critical component to chronic care management. For instance, studies suggest that social determinants of health, such as low income or lack of transportation, can be significant barriers to medication adherence.
Medication optimization is an important part of managing a patient’s chronic disease, and Arine’s tools help ensure that a member’s regimen is as simple as possible. To learn more, register for our upcoming webinar, Medication Optimization: The Missing Link in Value-Based Care.
Self-management support groups
Self-management support is an important strategy to help patients with chronic health conditions manage their symptoms and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Studies show that well-implemented self-management interventions can improve patient outcomes and lower healthcare costs. They also have the potential to improve quality of life and bolster clinician engagement.
However, it is important to note that self-management supports are not effective on their own. They must be integrated into a trusted care team. This can include a primary care physician, a nurse, a social worker and an allied health professional. It may also include community resources and support groups.
One example is the Expert Patients program, a six-session group intervention designed to teach participants how to control their chronic disease. The workshop is taught by two facilitators, at least one of whom has a chronic condition. The program is offered to individuals who have been referred by their healthcare providers or are self-referred. The program is standardized and includes manuals for leaders, master trainers, and T-trainers.