The millions of Americans living with more than one chronic disease are at high risk of poor health outcomes, and account for a disproportionate share of health care costs. A special March supplement to Medical Carepresents updates from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's (AHRQ) Multiple Chronic Conditions (MCC) Research Network, formed to address knowledge gaps and research challenges in meeting the complex health care needs of this growing population.
Meeting the Needs of People with MCC—More Than Just a "Collection of Diseases"
The March special supplement, titled Advancing the Field: Results from the AHRQ Multiple Chronic Conditions Research Network, presents research and commentaries based on grants funded by AHRQ to improve understanding about how to best care for the growing number of people living with multiple chronic conditions (MCC). The AHRQ MCC Research Networksupports the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services' (HHS) Multiple Chronic Conditions Strategic Framework and the HHS Initiative on Multiple Chronic Conditions, a public-private sector partnership to address the needs of people living with MCC and the health systems that serve them.
It is estimated that more than one-fourth of all Americans, and two-thirds of older adults, are living with MCC— defined as two or more chronic physical or behavioral health problems. Care for patients with MCC accounts for an estimated two-thirds of the nation's nearly $3 trillion in total health care spending. As the US population ages, the number of people with MCC is increasing steadily—by 2030, there are expected to be more than 170 million Americans living with at least one chronic condition.
But MCC research poses difficult challenges—a "one-size fits all" approach can't capture the various combinations of conditions and contributing factors seen in patients with MCC. Drs Tinetti and Basu identify priorities for MCC research, including further development of research methods, and improvement of treatment guidelines and of the health care system's ability to meet the needs of patients with MCC.
Highlights from the special issue will be presented in a webinar on Tuesday, February 25, 2014, at 3:00 pm EST. Three researchers from the AHRQ MCC Research Network will discuss topics including the role of clinical practice guidelines in managing patients with MCC, use of the "medical homes" in caring for patients with concurrent physical and mental illness, and approaches to addressing the fragmentation of hospital care for MCC patients.