Chronic Care Management [CCM] is extremely important for many different reasons, with patient adherence being especially crucial. Why? Well, while good care management reduces healthcare costs, it can also vastly improve quality of life for patients experiencing multiple chronic health conditions, and helps them manage, reduce and prevent further effects from these or new conditions.
Treating these chronic conditions helps slow disease progression and effectively prevent or slow any avoidable complications through chronic care management.
Without a proper Chronic Care Management solution, patients experiencing multiple chronic conditions may resort to seeking care from multiple care providers, often creating a lack of coordinated care, and reducing their care plan adherence, resulting in unsatisfactory patient health outcomes.
How Does Chronic Care Management Work for Patients?
Chronic Care Management works to improve patient experience and health in a number of ways, including:
- Enhancing and improving communication among treatment centers and clinicians
- Creating care programs focused at patients specific care needs
- Extending access to care for patients outside their regular visits
Chronic Care Management (CCM) helps patients become more engaged in their health by empowering them with the adoption of healthier lifestyle habits and self-management techniques, resulting in happier and healthier patients. Some of these techniques are as follows:
- Behavior modification
- Following dietary changes
- Utilizing support groups
- Receiving integrated help from their primary physician, rather than bouncing between other health care services, and avoiding the ER
What are the Elements of Chronic Care Management?
Receiving initial treatment plans and support for self-management is key to the success of Chronic Care Management programs. Patients who receive this support are more likely to follow their care management plans and utilize provisions for community resources.
How are Patients Helped Through Chronic Care Management?
Patients with two or more chronic conditions can benefit a great deal from adhering to a personalized chronic care management plan, including those with these disorders:
- Diabetes Mellitus
- Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
- Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)
- Asthma
- Hypertension
Patients with chronic conditions who have followed their care management plans have exhibited fewer incidents involving unexpected visits to the ER or medical intervention resulting in a better quality of life as measured by the patients; and have experienced a positive economic impact.
Chronic Care Goals
Chronic Care Management is effective because of its ability to prevent potential events, optimize patient compliance and treatment usage, and change unhealthy behaviors. The objectives are always to provide better health for the patient, clinical improvements, and improved financial outcomes through improved access to care and education.
Looking for Care Management Solutions?
At Circle Link Health, the goal is to help Care Organizations provide the extended care their patients required to help improve their health outcomes and identify, track and close Gaps in Care with zero investment and zero effort from the practice. Understanding and learning why Chronic Care Management Programs work and how to encourage patient adherence to their program are the first steps in this important aspect of primary care. If you’d like to learn more about CircleLink Health’s Chronic Care Management Platform, contact us today.
