Center authors Chen, Baumgardner and Rice's CDC's Preventing Chronic Disease Public Health Research, Practice, and Policy article examine the association between the number of chronic conditions and self-reported health-related quality of life outcomes among adults in the US.
As disease prevention and management improve and the population ages, the prevalence of chronic conditions is accelerating in the United States. Nearly half of adults have at least one chronic condition, which can result in extended pain and suffering and impaired quality of life.
This original research using data from the Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), found that adults with multiple chronic conditions experience more frequent physical distress than mental distress. The study suggests that managing chronic illness, especially for people with multiple conditions, presents substantial challenges to professionals in all areas of health care. Health professionals seek not only to develop better strategies to manage chronic disorders and prevent complications but also to maintain or enhance the functional abilities of people who are chronically ill.
Clinician awareness of patients' needs and personal goals early in their care may reduce the effect of chronic comorbidities on Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL). By targeting outcomes that patients seem to value most, clinicians could provide customized treatment plans that patients are more motivated to follow. Thus, a better understanding of HRQOL related to chronic conditions may lead to more effective preventive education and improved care of patients with chronic illness.
Read the full article: Health-Related Quality of Life Among Adults with Multiple Chronic Conditions in the United States, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2007.
