Living with a chronic condition can be challenging and anything that can alleviate stress is a welcome solution. These efforts are clinically defined as Chronic Care Management (CCM) and are a critical component of primary care.
CCM applies to anyone living with two or more conditions that are expected to last at least a year. In America alone, 117 million adults have two or more chronic conditions that require continuous management. The need to frequently manage care can pose some difficulties unless you have proper planning. You also need the right tools, including a way to organize, track and share your medical information.
The Struggles of Chronic Care Management
The amount of time and effort needed to manage yours or your loved one’s care can be exhausting. It can seem like there are never enough hours in the day for good health. CCM has more complexity than regular care and individuals often struggle to manage multiple priorities. Here are some of the common complaints for people living with CCM and how an app like CarePassport can help:
Multiple Doctors
Seeing multiple specialists over the course of the month means a lot of information and paperwork, and keeping it organize (don’t lose anything!) can be daunting. CCM is a collaborative effort between providers that can have you running all over town. Proper, continuous care means you need a system in place.
Your CCM health plan should include all providers’ information, family, caregivers, and a list of conditions. Having an app for chronic care management is a great solution for ensuring all medical data is in one place and accessible. Not to mention, it’s all in the palm of your hand. If you need to quickly pull up records from one doctor to the next, it’s as easy as pulling out your phone.
An app can also increase communication between your specialists. The simpler it is to share info, the better the collaboration to improve you or your loved one’s condition. And that’s always a win-win for everyone.
Accurate Data
Keeping track of everything going on in a chronic condition can be tough. You may find yourself reporting inaccurate info about you or your loved one’s health from one provider to the next. When you have so much information from so many sources,, there is bound to be an error or missing data.
A tool for continuous and uninterrupted management, like the CarePassport app, will mean medical information will be consistent from one doctor to the next. You don’t have to worry about reciting a list every time you or your loved one sees a new caregiver . You can store, share and access clinical reports, lab results and x-ray images right inside the app.
Resources
Bouncing between specialists means hearing and reading a lot of medical jargon. This can leave patients feeling confused and not in control of their situation. A recent study found that more than 85% of patients who were able to view their provider’s notes through a secure patient portal reported feeling more in control of their care and having a better standard of well-being. There is power in information and understanding the data surrounding a chronic condition is critical to continuous care.
A patient-centric app like CarePassport is like having a medical library at your fingertips. An app can provide resources for educational materials and help you understand terminology. It can even deliver information on your daily health by synching up with a wearable.
CCM is continual, and you need to be able to connect with providers, access records and track progress to maintain a positive state of health. Using an app for chronic care management gives you that connection and access.. In a world driven by digital interactions, this is naturally the next step in successfully managing a chronic condition.