Disease Management Cures High Hospital Costs For Many Patients

Disease management is a multidisciplinary approach aimed at improving the quality of patient care and recovery outcomes. It is commonly implemented in the care of patients with chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, diabetes, and asthma. This also involves interventions which are both directed at the healthcare providers and patients.

Already high costs of healthcare are continuously increasing by the day. As a result, this puts strains, not only on individuals, but also on the government and other public agencies. Millions of people have at least one diagnosed chronic medical condition, and are the ones who frequently go in and out of the hospital. Re-hospitalization and re-admissions only double up incurred expenses. The hospitalization cost is even increased by repeated laboratory and diagnostic examinations, pricey medical devices, medications, and other services. Also, hospital-acquired infections and complications contribute to high rates of a hospital-stay. Furthermore, high re-hospitalization and readmission rates contribute to decreased productivity in the industry. Thus, it affects the entire economy.

To try to prevent the increasing costs in healthcare, a software providing disease management has been designed. It not only aims at improving the quality of patient care and recovery outcomes, but it also intends to make the patient’s healthcare, more cost-effective. Through this approach recurrent hospitalizations and disease exacerbations can be prevented and better managed at home by the patient and/or caregiver.

This new approach addresses both the healthcare provider and patients. It involves the patient’s early diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation, and to ensure improved quality of care, the health care providers must come up with an individualized care management plan. This can include close monitoring of the patients’ overall health progress, as well as their adherence to treatment. Consistency should be observed with the use of monitoring and evaluating guidelines. For rehabilitation, monitoring should still be continued in the form of post-discharge interventions and also patient counselling. The most effective method of monitoring the patient in the post-discharge period is through telephone calls or home visits. Another means of monitoring is the use of electronic devices for the transmission of patient data. Information such as the patient’s blood pressure, weight, or glucose levels can be reported to the health care professionals via the internet. Through this action plan, the health care provider has a way to identify the patient’s compliance to prescribed medication and other treatments.

Meanwhile, the patients are also given a role in their disease management.  They need to be educated about their diagnosis and treatment plan. In this way, they have an idea how to manage their disease and prevent exacerbations at home. Health teachings for the patients will cover topics such as medications, treatments, and lifestyle modifications to improve their health status. Also, informing them further about their disease condition will enable them to understand more on how to avoid triggers. As a result, this can lead to better compliance.

Since this care management is a multidisciplinary approach, it can also involve people from other services to be a part of the patient’s care. This includes people from the social and community services. With their help, coordination can be facilitated. The community also plays a huge part in the prevention of diseases. This is done through public-health campaigns facilitated by local community health centers. With all of these updated strategies in place for the patients’ care, their quality of life can be greatly improved. Recurrent trips to the hospital can be reduced, as well. Ideally, it should result to lower health care expenditures and most importantly, enhanced quality of patient care outcomes.