Capstone Project: Changing Systems to Support Chronic Condition Management

Reductions and Prevention of Chronic Diseases

Chronic diseases are some of the leading health threats that have claimed many lives. It remains one of the biggest challenges that are faced in healthcare systems. Chronic diseases contribute to a larger percentage of disease burdens in most of the countries raising concerns of its management. Therefore, the healthcare systems have proposed better methods for dealing with most of the acute conditions; however, some of the chronic infections are dealt with amicably. There are changes that individual healthcare systems must introduce in order to meet the needs of managing chronic conditions. This paper will analyze the changing systems aimed to support chronic disease management.

Introduction

The increased cases of chronic infections have led to the need for system change in most of the healthcare facilities. Therefore, possible methods for dealing with chronic infections must first be identified before the individuals can introduce the change. Chronic infections require comprehensive healthcare; therefore, healthcare institutions must be able to implement changes in every department of the hospital. The paper analyzes the changing systems to support chronic condition management.

Literature Review

Chronic diseases contribute to a larger percentage of disease burdens in most of the countries raising concerns of its management. Therefore, the healthcare systems have offered better methods for dealing with most of the acute conditions; however, some of the chronic infections are dealt with amicably. There are chances that the individual healthcare systems must introduce in order to meet the needs of managing chronic conditions.

Nolte& McKee (2008), discuss that the unwaveringly increasing incidences of chronic infections are now considered as a serious blow in the healthcare systems. Therefore, they must be in positions of dealing with the challenges amicably. This provokes the need to ensure proper healthcare systems that enhance the resolution of these conditions. Ideally, chronic infections require comprehensive management and corresponding healthcare system to deal properly with the common challenges.

The self-management support in dealing with chronic diseases involves a patient-centered collaborative approach to promoting patient activation, empowerment, and education. Moreover, self-management support expands the role of healthcare professionals from delivering information. Patient involvement in the comprehensive management will ensure that the individuals visit the healthcare facilities at the correct time, thus reducing the chances of developing chronic conditions before comprehensive treatment is started.

It should be noted that a larger population will benefit from the change in chronic disease management. Usually, the patients gain necessary management skills, including self-management ones. The patients can partner with the healthcare providers to ensure that they provide sufficient care to their conditions. They can involve some new strategies for dealing with their conditions. On the other hand, individuals can also learn better methods of disease prevention reducing the chances of developing chronic conditions. All these processes can be initiated by the healthcare systems as argued by the authors. Due to the fact that the strategies for change might be proposed, it is often necessary to state the limits of activity. The protocols must be clearly presented in order to enable sustained management of the chronic conditions. The change will require that the current crude approaches must be replaced by reviewed comprehensive methods of dealing with chronic conditions. The structured patterns of change must be evidence-based in order to enhance confidence that the individuals might be able to experience.

Rationale for Change

According to Nolte, Knai, & McKee, (2008), due to the increased cases of chronic infections, it is necessary to change the system in most of the healthcare facilities. There are inputs that the healthcare systems should incorporate before they start the whole process of necessary changes. Methods for dealing with chronic infections must first be identified before individuals can set forth for the change. Chronic infections require comprehensive healthcare; therefore, healthcare institutions must be able to implement changes in every arm of the hospital. Chronic diseases are usually identified in their late stages. The late identification is attributable to the lack of proper inputs and systems that can be used for detecting the diseases in time. Lack of adequate resources is one of the reasons for poor healthcare; thus, the change of the healthcare systems must be embedded in inadequate funds and resources. On the other hand, the individuals who suffer from chronic diseases often have the problem of infrequent visits for screening and treatment in the healthcare systems. This necessitates the change that will include patient involvement in the management of chronic infections.

The major rationale for incorporating the system change in the healthcare systems is to ensure that chronic diseases are prevented and managed properly. Moreover, the healthcare systems will benefit from proper prevention of chronic infections. The healthcare institutions are often burdened by the increasing numbers of chronic conditions. Change of systems will capture a wider spectrum, including family care, self-care, and comprehensive hospital management. All the parties involved in the management of these chronic conditions must be aware of the challenges and modalities of providing healthcare.

The stakeholders involved in the prevention of chronic diseases include the individuals who engage in the rigorous continuum of care (Schulman-Green, et al., 2012). The stakeholders are the people who ensure that the changed systems provide the needed transitions in the management of chronic diseases. The stakeholders will, therefore, engage in the various foundations and departments that specifically deal with various health problems. Ideally, stakeholders will participate in creating and managing the asthma foundation, lung foundations, diabetes, kidney health, stroke foundations, self-care groups, and other general chronic conditions. The stakeholders will, therefore, ensure that they provide all the necessary support and roles needed in these units to facilitate the change. Beneficiaries will include patients with chronic diseases as well as their families. The care delivery systems that help in the examination, treatment, and review may not be comprehensive enough leading to the failure of change plans. Due to comprehensive support and information systems, the individuals may easily conduct clinical procedures; nonetheless, lack of these initiatives often results in the poor methods of management. It should be noted that the information system is an integral component of change; thus, it must be included in an efficient type of management in order to enhance proper communication. On the other hand, healthcare personnel must have adequate knowledge and leadership skills while dealing with chronic diseases (Schulman-Green, et al., 2012).

Decision making must be provided in a comprehensive manner to enhance the identification and resolution of some common challenges in the healthcare systems. Due to the fact that the strategies for change might be proposed, it is often necessary to state the limits of activity. Protocols must be clearly presented to help in enabling sustained management of the chronic conditions. The change will require that the current crude methods of doing things must be replaced by Reviewed comprehensive methods of dealing with the chronic conditions. The structured patterns of change must be evidence-based to enhance confidence in the change that the individuals might be able to go through. Schulman-Green, et al., (2012) states that changes in chronic disease management should be elusive enough. This is to ensure prevention as well as the maintenance of good health condition. The provided purposes of all the management services are aimed to reduce the burden caused by the disease in the patients.

However, the respective changes must ensure that the diagnosis methods are accurate. Accuracy in diagnosing diseases is one of the methods that aid in their management. Identification of the chronic diseases aid in timely and accurate treatment; however, the diagnosis must ensure proper modalities of its conduction. The families of patients who suffer from chronic diseases are susceptible to financial constraints. Irrespective of the available health insurance coverage, the families spend a high amount of money for the management of their condition. Ultimately, financial burdens are placed on both families and individuals. Additionally, in some cases, chronic illnesses may thwart an individual from working. In order to achieve changes in the management units, the investigative methods must be updated. The investigation, which is undertaken while trying to explore chronic diseases, must employ some of the latest and accurate methods of diagnosis. Moreover, there are some non-beneficial methods of treatment that must be avoided.

The interventions must ensure that the applied methods of treatments are precise and relevant to the condition diagnosed. One of the major problems faced in the management of chronic diseases is the lack of accuracy in the treatments. Some healthcare facilities apply irrelevant healthcare interventions that might either worsen the conditions or fail to resolve them. The article further explains that the objectives of the changes provided by the health care systems should intercept the increasing trends of chronic diseases in the health care systems (Schulman-Green, et al., 2012). The aim is to enable individuals to be actively proficient while providing self-care. Self-management models help the healthcare facilities to remain with fewer burdens in the management of chronic infections. The individuals who know how to manage their chronic conditions will have lesser impacts of the disease as compared to those who are unable to manage themselves. These changes are intended to reduce the burden of the chronic condition the rates of their development.

Chronic ailments are a death sentence to the people who are found to possess them and pose a lasting implication on their lifestyle as well as that of their families. Consequently, the diagnosis of chronic diseases is always a commencement of tough times for families and individuals. It is vital to comprehend various aspects of chronic illnesses and the recovery process by examining the available data, to establish various mechanisms that are effectual in dealing with the same.

Richardson, Loyola-Sanchez, Sinclair, Harris, Letts, MacIntyre & Martin Ginis, (2014), argue that the community should be involved in the management of chronic conditions. This will help in both the prevention and management of established illnesses. The community must be, therefore, incorporated into defined methods. The psychological status of these individuals must be assessed in order to help identify other related factors leading to chronic diseases. Screening must be ensured during the change to enhance identification of the conditions that are prone to the development of chronic events. The proposed changes must conform to healthcare protocols. The healthcare protocols must, however, accommodate the changes proposed by the change. There must be undoubted safety in using the respective methods. In most cases, it is advisable for the healthcare management to identify some of the potential problems that they face that hinder their management of the chronic conditions.

Richardson et al., (2014) state that some barriers that can be experienced in the implementation of these changes include the lack of adequate funds and input for the healthcare services. Lack of proper equipment leads to the decreased accuracy in investigation and diagnosis of chronic conditions. Moreover, among the possible barriers, there may be public health policies that might be rigid to the changes. On the other hand, environmental factors may also facilitate failure in making the changes. The environment must be favorable enough to manage change feasibly; however, inappropriate environments might hinder the proposed change. Richardson et al., (2014) argue that most of the chronic diseases require alteration of their behaviors. For example, some patients require improvement of their diets and lifestyle. For the same reason, addictions are classified as chronic diseases with the rationale that they also require a total change in the behavior patterns of the individuals such as totally quitting a particular substance. The problem is that chronic diseases lack a cure as well as addictions. This explicates the rationale behind alterations of behaviors in patients with addictions to maintain a healthy living.

Koch, Wakefield & Wakefield (2015), state that the patients often play an integral part in the prevention and management of chronic diseases. These patients must learn that there are rules that they ought to follow in order to deal with their chronic diseases. However, it is not often easy to spread the knowledge of chronic disease management throughout an entire population of the patients.

The role of medical staffs, nursing personnel as well as the allied healthcare providers is important while executing the system change. Moreover, this change will also consider ancillary health workers such as community-based care providers. The untrained personnel will also be necessary for the preliminary prevention of chronic conditions. System change will help individuals in implementing the chronic disease management model. This will rejuvenate the confidence and safety in individuals with chronic diseases (Koch, Wakefield & Wakefield, 2015). Families and other care providers must be adequately trained on how they can prevent and reduce the health impacts of these conditions. The system change will only involve the adjustment of the protocols involved in the management of chronic conditions.

Summary

The major rationale for incorporating the system change in the healthcare systems is to ensure that chronic diseases are prevented and managed properly. The healthcare systems will benefit from proper prevention of chronic infections. The healthcare institutions are often burdened by the increasing numbers of chronic conditions. Change of systems will capture a wider spectrum including the family care, self-care, and comprehensive hospital management. All the players in the management of these chronic conditions must be aware of the challenges and modalities of providing healthcare.

The change of systems will also focus on the methods of reducing the prevalence of chronic conditions. This will be achieved through comprehensive halting of the onset, prevention of the progression as well as proper management of the advanced chronic conditions. The change must also focus on the ways of reducing emergency admissions. Hospital admissions must be decreased in order to enhance proper management of the chronic conditions. Moreover, it must find proper methods of reducing the hospital stays. Prolonged hospital stays to act as etiology for some of the chronic non-comical infections; thus, reduced length of stay in the hospitals will decrease the chances of developing the conditions.

Conclusion

According to Koch, Wakefield & Wakefield (2015), the model of change will provide the best strategy for dealing with chronic conditions, thus reducing the disease burden. As a way of reducing chronic cases in healthcare, the number of deaths will also decrease. This will facilitate the management skills that will be employed in developing standardized protocols for future management. Therefore, the systems must be synchronized to accommodate all the protocols that will enhance the reductions and prevention of chronic diseases.