Chronic Diseases Management in Clinical Setting

Abstract

This speech mainly focuses on the patient tasks of chronic diseases management in clinical settings. It starts from the introduction to the prevalence of and risk factors for common chronic diseases. Multicomorbidities among chronic patients, trajectories of death, and integration of palliative care into the care continuum earlier in the disease process are highlighted. The components of chronic diseases management include medication management treatment adherence, diet and weight measurement, tobacco use and dependence, promoting physical activity, disease self-care, and family and social support. Strategies on how to implement each specific task will be discussed. Examples from the author and the National Cheng Kung University Hospital experiences are provided to explain the strategies implementation. Multidisciplinary team work and clinical guidelines for chronic diseases are emphasized to promote the healthcare quality and reach better clinical outcomes. Twi important issues, cultural awareness and shared decision making, will be discussed to highlight the quality of care process and patient satisfaction. Overall, the speech concludes three important aspects on contemporary chronic diseases management in clinical settings. Firstly, with the trend in comorbid conditions among patients, single disease guidelines will become secondary sources of information, and integrated approaches to treatment decisions will become primary. Secondly, treatments and therapies (e.g., exercise, nutrition, smoking cessation) that can simultaneously address multiple illnesses will become predominant. Finally, shared decision making should be implemented to reach better clinical outcomes.