The Urgent Need for Healthcare Quality and Research Initiatives in the United States
As the number of Americans living with multiple chronic conditions continues to rise, it is crucial to find ways to improve their care while simultaneously reducing the cost of treatment and management of these conditions. Over the years, the cost of treating these patients has increased (Vogeli et al., 2007). Self-management is the proposed model of care for reducing costs and ensuring the quality of care for patients with multiple chronic conditions (Kuebler, 2015). The self-management model equips patients with the knowledge and resources necessary to meet their healthcare needs outside the hospital. With the adoption of effective self-management practices, disease complications, and exacerbations have been reduced.
Utilizing specialized technology has been one way to ensure self-management practices’ success. Health Information Technology (HIT) has become increasingly prevalent in American healthcare settings, where it has the potential to significantly enhance the treatment and management of chronic conditions (Jean-Jacques, Persell, Thompson, Hasnain-Wynia, & Baker, 2012). In research, however, the impact of technology on inequality emerges as a question. Some segments of the population may not have access to technology, which creates the possibility that they will be excluded from the self-management practice. To improve the quality of care for individuals with multiple chronic conditions, policymakers must ensure widespread access to technology and adequate training and education on using technological devices. Evidently, it will be less expensive to provide technical capacity than to manage multiple chronic conditions with health care resources…