In the United States, every other person seems to be suffering from one or the other kind of chronic condition. Compared to the flu, common cold, or even fracture, people have to deal with chronic conditions for a longer period of time, and it worsens as time passes if appropriate care is not taken.
Since human beings are complex organisms made up of many different systems and organs, chronic conditions are not limited to one particular organ. That is why people suffering from chronic conditions require professional care
However, the need to provide prolonged care and the rising number of people suffering from chronic conditions have increased the burden on healthcare providers. Preparing for the worst that is yet to come, healthcare professionals are innovatively solving the problem with specially designed software for chronic care management.
In this blog, let’s learn about chronic conditions and strategies to effectively manage them.
Characteristics of Chronic Illness
Dealing with chronic conditions can be a costly affair for patients and the inconvenience it causes in receiving care can be frustrating at times. To tackle this problem, the Center of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has designed a program for medicare beneficiaries who have at least two chronic conditions which is expected to last for at least one year. That program is called Chronic Care Management specially designed for people with chronic conditions.
With the rising number of chronic cases, the CCM program aims to promote better and convenient care facilities for patients along with reducing the overall healthcare costs.
Common Chronic Conditions
Chronic care management programs are specially designed to reduce the chances of hospital readmission, reduce the overall costs for patient care and proactively involve patients with their care plans to improve health outcomes of the patients.
However some of the additional benefits of the CCM for patients are mentioned below:
Know your Disease
Software for chronic care management with integration with telehealth platforms and EHRs improves the access to care for patients. Features like teleconsultations enable patients to virtually connect with providers and receive care. Since proactive and preventive care is the focus in the CCM program, the patients have 24/7 access to care providers.
By giving patients more control of their health and actively involving them in the process, patients can easily reach out to providers in case of any doubts or complications. Other extended facilities like virtual care and remote patient monitoring, CCM improves the access to care even for patients in underserved and remote areas.
Conclusion
Frequently Asked Questions
EHRs improve communication by providing a central repository for patient data, facilitating better information sharing between providers, reducing medical errors, and enabling more coordinated care.
EHR systems employ a variety of security measures to protect patient data, including access controls, encryption, and regular security audits. Access controls ensure that only authorized personnel can access patient information, while encryption safeguards data both at rest and in transit. Regular security audits help identify and address potential vulnerabilities.
Healthcare organizations can address EHR implementation challenges by:
- Thorough planning: Defining clear goals, selecting the right system, and allocating sufficient resources.
- User training: Providing comprehensive training to all staff on EHR usage and workflows.
- Data migration: Ensuring accurate and timely data migration from legacy systems.
- Change management: Addressing staff concerns and resistance to change through effective communication and support.
- Ongoing maintenance: Regularly updating and maintaining the EHR system to ensure optimal performance and security.
EHRs improve data accuracy by reducing manual data entry errors, standardizing data formats, and enabling automated data checks. They improve access by providing real-time, secure access to patient information from anywhere with an internet connection, facilitating better coordination of care among providers.
EHRs facilitate care coordination by providing a central repository of patient information accessible to all involved healthcare teams. This enables seamless information sharing, reduces medical errors, improves communication, and ensures consistent care across the continuum.
