Chronic Illness Management
Research overview
What do diabetes, back pain, depression, and heart disease have in common? They're among a host of chronic health problems and disabilities that have traditionally received too little attention from health care systems — until serious complications develop. Modern medicine tends to focus on detecting and treating acute problems, leaving fewer resources for the needs of patients with chronic illnesses, which may be less urgent but are equally important.
Our population is aging rapidly, and people with chronic conditions are living longer. Chronic conditions now affect more than 145 million Americans. About half of Americans over 65 — our nation’s fastest-growing segment — have at least 2 chronic conditions. As our need for improved chronic care grows, health care delivery systems are trying to correct the many deficiencies in current management of chronic diseases.
For over 2 decades, KPWHRI scientists have been developing, implementing, and promoting better models of care for chronic illness. Much of this work is led by the institute's Center for Accelerating Care Transformation (ACT Center), which is widely recognized for its refinement and dissemination of the Chronic Care Model. The ACT Center continues to work with providers nationwide to develop strategies and tools for health care systems seeking to improve chronic illness care.
Such resources are then shared globally through active engagement with international organizations developing guidance and care recommendations. Providers worldwide continue to adapt materials such as the ACT Center’s Patient Assessment of Chronic Illness Care and Patient-Centered Medical Home Assessment surveys.
Recent publications on Chronic Illness Management
Frost MH, Bonomi AE, Ferrans CE, Wong GY, Hays RD. Patient, clinician, and population perspectives on determining the clinical significance of quality-of-life scores. Mayo Clin Proc. 2002;77(5):488-94. PubMed
Putnam KG, Buist DS, Fishman P, Andrade SE, Boles M, Chase GA, Goodman MJ, Gurwitz JH, Platt R, Raebel MA, Arnold Chan K. Chronic disease score as a predictor of hospitalization. Epidemiology. 2002;13(3):340-6. PubMed
Lieu TA, Lozano P, Finkelstein JA, Chi FW, Jensvold NG, Capra AM, Quesenberry CP, Selby JV, Farber HJ. Racial/ethnic variation in asthma status and management practices among children in managed medicaid. Pediatrics. 2002;109(5):857-65. PubMed
Schaefer J, Homer C, Gephart H, Holscher L, Chiku T. Patient and family self-management: improving outcomes for people with chronic conditions, including children. Special Issue of the Northwest Bulletin on Family and Child Health. 2002:16(2). PubMed
Schaefer J, Homer C, Gephart H, Holscher L, Chiku T. Patient and family self-management: outreach worker fosters asthma self-management among patient families. Special Issue of the Northwest Bulletin on Family and Child Health. 2002:16(2). PubMed
Researchers in Chronic Illness Management
 Beverly B. Green, MD, MPHSenior Investigator |
 James D. Ralston, MD, MPHSenior Investigator |
 Paula Lozano, MD, MPHSenior Investigator; Director, ACT Center |
 Katie Coleman, MSPHDirector, ACT Center |
 Gregory E. Simon, MD, MPHSenior Investigator |
 Katharine A. Bradley, MD, MPHSenior Investigator |
 Jennifer B. McClure, PhDDirector, Investigative Science |
 Dori E. Rosenberg, PhD, MPHSenior Investigator |
 Ben Balderson, PhDSenior Collaborative Scientist |
 Joseph E. Glass, PhD, MSWAssociate Investigator |
 Yu-Ru Su, PhDAssociate Biostatistics Investigator |
 Chloe Krakauer, PhDCollaborative Biostatistician |
 Mikael Anne Greenwood-Hickman, MPHCollaborative Scientist |
 Laurel Hansell, MA, MPHCollaborative Scientist |
 Claire Allen, MPHManager, Collaborative Science |
 Morgan Justice, MACollaborative Scientist |
Affiliate Researchers in Chronic Illness Management
Laura-Mae Baldwin, MD, MPH
Professor, Department of Family Medicine
University of Washington
Linda LeResche, ScD
Associate Dean for Research, School of Dentistry
Professor, Oral Medicine
University of Washington
Healthy findings blog
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Recent News
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KPWHRI’s VITAL study discovers six domains that people with chronic illness too rarely discuss with their care providers.
Read about it & watch the video in News and Events.
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