Impact Of Chronic Disease On Both Increased Health Care Expenditures

Impact Of Chronic Disease On Both Increased Health Care Expenditures

 

Discussion Board

Chronic diseases are long-term health condition that impact individuals and may not have an express cure or treatment intervention. Chronic diseases lead to increased spending and more out of pocket payments for individuals, families, and even organizations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2022) observes that close to 90% of the nation’s $3.8 trillion in annual health care costs are used to cater to individuals with chronic and mental health conditions. These conditions include heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, obesity, Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis, and tooth decay. The implication is that government spends substantial resources, some wasted, to manage and support individuals with these conditions. In his study, Fong (2019) shows that chronic diseases are costly for individuals without medical or health insurance. The study observes that diabetes, hypertension, cancer and heart conditions lead to higher rates of out-of-pocket spending in older adults. The implication is that elder adults are spending resources on out-of-pocket payment leading to higher cost of the healthcare.

Genetics play a significant role in prevalence of certain conditions like cancer, hypertension, and diabetes. Family history of cancer and diabetes makes one vulnerable to contracting the conditions, especially in old age (Holman, 2020). The genetic composition of an individual predisposes them to increased possibility of contracting certain long-term conditions and it is imperative that such individual develop interventions to reduce the susceptibility.

Doctoral-prepared nurse can apply this information by offering better interventions to help patients presenting in their settings with different conditions. The nurse can institute measures that are patient-centered to reduce their susceptibility to chronic diseases. For instance, advising patients to eat healthy diets, and exercise regularly can help them tackle these conditions in the long-term.

EBP Method to Care for Patients with Chronic Disease

One critical method that is founded on evidence-based research and practice is the use of electronic health records (EHRs). Through the method, provider can manage patient care and offer better intervention in an accurate, up-to-date, and complete approach based on information about the patient at points of care. Through EHRs, providers can access patient health information and records to attain a more coordinated and efficient care for better outcomes (Hajat et al., 2021). EHR as a method that uses evidence-based data allows providers to improve patient care; especially those with multiple chronic diseases to attain well-coordinated care among the different stakeholders like nurses, physicians, and technologists in different areas or departments. A care plan enabled by EHR allows provider to streamline the care process and make it more efficient by tracking patient’s progress for effective care delivery. Individuals with chronic conditions have increased risk for comorbidities and using EHRs enables the providers to know all the conditions, have a common approach to care, and integrate patients through shared decision making.

The anticipated outcomes of implementing this method and approaches like it include better patient outcomes, increased coordination and management of patient condition, and the opportunity to leverage technology in decision making (CDC, 2022) The implication is that patients with chronic diseases require better care and more resources to help them lead quality lives and sustain their health.

Doctoral-prepared nurse uses this information in their practice to improve care interventions for the elderly patients with chronic conditions. The nurse can use the information to implement similar programs and interventions in their setting to help patients with chronic conditions improve their functionality and better living (Holman, 2020). The nurse can use the information to improve knowledge and share with colleagues for effective dissemination to attain quality patient care in their facilities.

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References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2022 January 18). Health and Economic

 Costs of Chronic Diseases. https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/about/costs/index.htm

Fong, J. H. (2019). Out-of-pocket health spending among Medicare beneficiaries: Which chronic

diseases are most costly? PloS one, 14(9), e0222539. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0222539

Hajat, C., Siegal, Y., & Adler-Waxman, A. (2021). Clustering and Healthcare Costs with

Multiple Chronic Conditions in a US Study. Frontiers in public health, 978. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2020.607528

Holman, H. R. (2020). The relation of the chronic disease epidemic to the health care crisis.

ACR open rheumatology, 2(3), 167-173. https://doi.org/10.1002/acr2.11114

 

What is the impact of chronic disease on both increased health care expenditures and wasted resources? Do genetics play a role? How can the doctoral-prepared nurse apply this information in practice? Explain. Support your rationale with a minimum of two scholarly sources.
In a separate paragraph, Identify a method that uses evidence-based data to support new or innovative ways to care for patients with chronic disease. What are the anticipated outcomes of employing this method and methods like it? How can the doctoral-prepared nurse apply this information in practice? Explain. Support your rationale with a minimum of two scholarly sources.