Chronic Disease Care: Rearranging the Deck Chairs

Editorials20 September 2005Chronic Disease Care: Rearranging the Deck ChairsDavid M. Lawrence, MDDavid M. Lawrence, MDFrom Geyserville, CA 95441.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-143-6-200509200-00010 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail The care of patients with chronic disease is one of the most urgent medical challenges in the United States. Chronic illness accounts for most of the demand, expense, and investments in scientific discovery. The well-documented shortcomings in medical quality and safety fall heavily on the shoulders of patients with these conditions (1). Meanwhile, the Medicare program moves steadily toward insolvency (2). Two major trends will seriously aggravate the current situation. Over the next 20 years, demographic changes will drive a substantial increase in the prevalence of chronic diseases. Moreover, scientific advances will greatly expand our ability to diagnose, to treat, ...References1. Institute of Medicine. Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century. Washington, DC: National Academy Pr; 2001. Google Scholar2. Kotlikoff L, Burns S. The Coming Generational Storm: What You Need To Know about America's Economic Future. Cambridge, MA: MIT Pr; 2004. Google Scholar3. Goldman P, Shekelle P, Bhattacharya J, Hurd M, Joyce G, Lakdawalla D, et al. Health Status and Medical Treatment of the Future Elderly, TR-169-CMS. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corp; 2004. Google Scholar4. Chodosh J, Morton SC, Mojica W, Maglione M, Suttorp MJ, Hilton L, et al. Meta-analysis: chronic disease self-management programs for older adults. Ann Intern Med. 2005;143:427-38. LinkGoogle Scholar5. Wolff JL, Boult C. Moving beyond round pegs and square holes: restructuring Medicare to improve chronic care. Ann Intern Med. 2005;143:439-45. LinkGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From Geyserville, CA 95441.Disclosures: None disclosed.Corresponding Author: David M. Lawrence, MD, PO Box 67, Geyserville, CA 95441; e-mail, David.[email protected]org. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoMeta-Analysis: Chronic Disease Self-Management Programs for Older Adults Joshua Chodosh , Sally C. Morton , Walter Mojica , Margaret Maglione , Marika J. Suttorp , Lara Hilton , Shannon Rhodes , and Paul Shekelle Moving beyond Round Pegs and Square Holes: Restructuring Medicare To Improve Chronic Care Jennifer L. Wolff and Chad Boult Metrics Cited BySmall Primary Care Physician Practices Have Low Rates Of Preventable Hospital AdmissionsTranslational Research or Industrial Process Improvement: A False ChoiceHigher Health Care Quality And Bigger Savings Found At Large Multispecialty Medical GroupsStreamlining rheumatology practiceDr. Harrington repliesA demonstration project of a multi-component educational intervention to improve integrated post-fracture osteoporosis care in five rural communities in Ontario, CanadaEin Blick Down UnderQuality of care in rheumatic diseases: performance measures and improvementWhy Some Adult Canadians Do Not Have Blood Pressure MeasuredThe extent and breadth of benefits from participating in chronic disease self-management courses: A national patient-reported outcomes surveyWhich Type of Medical Group Provides Higher-Quality Care?Lawrence P. Casalino, MD, PhDWhither Quality of Breast Cancer Care? 20 September 2005Volume 143, Issue 6Page: 458-459KeywordsClinical decision support systemsHealth care providersHealth information technologyHypertensionMedicareNursesOsteoarthritisPatientsSafetyShoulders ePublished: 20 September 2005 Issue Published: 20 September 2005 CopyrightCopyright © 2005 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF DownloadLoading ...