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Impact of Chronic Disease
Why are we getting more chronic diseases?
It is hard to identify one reason for the increase in chronic disease. Many factors influence our health. One reason is that advances in modern medicine and public health have increased our life span. A longer life span means that more Americans are being diagnosed with diseases at an older age. Another reason for more disease is that people have more barriers to healthcare and more chronic disease risk factors.
Healthcare Barriers and Risk Factors
There are many barriers that keep people from getting healthcare. Sometimes large groups of people do not get care because of culture or the economy. These are called societal barriers. Many individuals do not get healthcare because they do not have the money or they cannot get to the doctor. These are individual barriers.
Risk factors also influence our health. The risk of getting a chronic disease can depend on a person’s age, lifestyle choices and family history of disease. Below are some examples of barriers and risk factors.
Societal barriers to healthcare
- Poverty
- High-cost insurance
- Limited access to healthcare
- Barriers in the healthcare system
Individual barriers to healthcare
- No money for healthcare
- No transportation to healthcare
- Living a long distance from healthcare
- Difficulty speaking English
- Cultural beliefs about healthcare
Risk Factors (covered in the second part of this tutorial)
- Smoking
- Nutrition
- Physical activity
- Obesity
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
Learn all about it: Barriers to healthcare.
To learn more about barriers to healthcare and the patient navigator’s role in the healthcare system, see our free Patient Navigator Overview tutorial.
Now that we’ve seen some things that increase chronic disease, let’s define chronic disease and look at some healthcare trends in the U.S. >>>
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