State officials are looking for ways to sustain a program aimed at improving the quality of life for Virginians who suffer from chronic diseases, including COPD, hypertension, and diabetes. The state had funded this Chronic Disease Self-Management Education Program with a federal grant since 2010, but was recently turned down for another grant.
The program developed by Stanford University teaches patients about the steps they can take to control their chronic diseases and manage both symptoms and common problems.
Patients who participated had a reduced number of emergency room visits and hospital admissions—which reduced costs. Their medication compliance improved, while the number of unhealthy days declined. To emphasize the benefits of the program, Brink cites estimates that the annual costs of treating the debilitating chronic conditions along with lost work days and productivity is about 56-BILLION dollars annually in Virginia alone.
