About 40% of patients with chronic conditions believe their treatment burden is unsustainable, leading to poorer quality of life and not following medical advice. Advocates are pushing to simplify the process, The Washington Post reported March 24.
A recent study found Medicare patients spend about three weeks a year having medical tests, attending physician visits and undergoing treatment, and their ability to manage and coordinate appropriate healthcare is leading to an unmanageable treatment burden. About 1 in 10 people over 65 spent at least 50 days a year receiving care. For some older adults, the amount of treatment is not realistic or manageable.
"The good news is, we know so much more and can do so much more for people with various conditions," Thomas Lee, MD, chief medical officer at Press Ganey, told the Post. "The bad news is the system has gotten overwhelmingly complex."
The treatment burden includes arranging appointments, finding transportation to medical visits, getting and taking medication, coordinating with insurance companies, paying bills, and following recommendations for lifestyle changes.
The complexity comes into play for older adults with more complicated and comorbid health issues, and the increasing use of technology such as electronic patient portals and digital phone systems can also make it difficult for older patients to navigate.
"Some of this may be very beneficial and valuable for people, and some of it may be less essential," Ishani Ganguli, MD, an associate professor of medicine at Boston-based Harvard Medical School, told the Post. "We don't talk enough about what we're asking older adults to do and whether that's realistic."