The two-thirds of Medicare patients being treated for at least three chronic health problems account for a stunning 90 percent of Medicare spending. UW-Madison researchers received a $4.2 million National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant through the UW–Madison’s Center for Health Enhancement Systems Studies (CHESS). The team working on the grant includes David Gustafson, Jane Mahoney, Randy Brown, Louise Mares, and Dhavan Shah. They wil develop a new e-health intervention called Chronic Condition Health Enhancement Support System, or C-CHESS that builds upon the success of previous CHESS applications for conditions like cancer, asthma and alcoholism. They will recruit 330 older adults diagnosed with at least three of four conditions: hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes and osteoarthritis. Half the participants will use the C-CHESS electronic health system. The rest will be instructed to review websites related to their conditions. The project will take five years to complete.
Link: https://news.wisc.edu/online-support-may-help-medicare-patients-deal-with-chronic-conditions/