AARP Report Details Hardships Of Chronically Ill And Their Caregivers, Urges Reform

A new AARP Public Policy Institute survey of chronically ill patients and their caregivers finds health care poses significant challenges for the 70 million Americans 50 and older who have at least one chronic condition. The survey is part of a larger report, "Chronic Care: A Call to Action for Health Reform," which details the state of chronic care and offers recommendations for improving care for the chronically ill as part of comprehensive health reform.


The survey results highlight the lack of coordination that exists within the U.S. health care system. More than one in five (21 percent) chronically ill patients felt their health care providers did not do a good job communicating with each other; nearly as many (20 percent) said their health had suffered as a result. Uncoordinated care, among other factors, resulted in medical errors for nearly one in four patients (23 percent).



"Health spending for an older person with just one chronic disease is more than twice that of a healthy person," said AARP Executive Vice President John Rother. "Chronic conditions are often preventable, and they take a terrible toll on millions of Americans. Our fragmented health care system makes it incredibly difficult for chronically ill patients and their caregivers to get the appropriate care they so desperately need."



AARP's report highlights problems that frequently occur during care transitions-when a patient moves from home to a hospital, between facilities, or back into their home. It found that poor communication between different health care providers often results in medical errors or duplicative tests and treatments. Similarly, poor communication between providers and their patients contributed to readmissions for nearly 15 percent of patients.



Additional findings of the patient survey include:


. 26 percent of chronically ill patients lack confidence in the health care system;

. 30 percent said their health care provider did not have all the necessary information when they arrived;

. 24 percent received conflicting information from two or more health care providers; and

. 16 percent received unnecessary medical tests.



The AARP report makes several recommendations for policy changes to improve care for the chronically ill, including:


. Increasing the use of health information technology so that doctors, patients and caregivers have the information they need, when they need it;

. Expanding testing of care delivery models to find out what works and including best practices for chronic disease care in training for doctors and other health professionals;

. Making innovative changes to payment policy to encourage better performance and outcomes; and

. Making preventive care and medications more affordable to avoid preventable chronic diseases altogether and to better treat those that do occur.



Rother added, "Improving our health care system for people with chronic conditions will improve it for every American. By modernizing our health records, coordinating care across settings and conducting more research to find the best health care options available, we can reduce costs, improve quality and strive to make every American healthier."
















AARP conducted two surveys as part of its report. The first polled Americans 50-plus with at least one serious chronic condition and at least one episode of care at a hospital or other care setting in the last three years. The second survey polled caregivers 45-plus who provided care to a friend or family member with the same characteristics as participants in the first survey. Both surveys were designed by AARP and conducted over the internet by Knowledge Networks.



As a supplement to the report, AARP produced a video featuring the real stories of chronically ill patients and their caregivers.



The full report is available at aarp/beyond50.



AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to either political campaigns or candidates. We produce AARP The Magazine, the definitive voice for 50+ Americans and the world's largest-circulation magazine with over 34.5 million readers; AARP Bulletin, the go-to news source for AARP's 40 million members and Americans 50+; AARP Segunda Juventud, the only bilingual U.S. publication dedicated exclusively to the 50+ Hispanic community; and our website, AARP. AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. We have staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

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