Better Care for Older People With Chronic Diseases
An Emerging Vision
- David B. Reuben, MD
- Author Affiliation: David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics, University of California, Los Angeles.
- Corresponding Author: David B. Reuben, MD, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics, 10945 Le Conte Ave, Ste 2339, Los Angeles, Ca 90095-1687 (dreuben{at}mednet.ucla.edu).
Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text.
- KEYWORDS:
- AGING
- CHRONIC DISEASE
- DECISION MAKING
- EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINE
- GERIATRICS
- PATIENT CARE TEAM
- PATIENT-CENTERED CARE
- PRIMARY HEALTH CARE
- QUALITY OF HEALTH CARE
With the increase in life expectancy and aging of the baby boom generation, the United States is rapidly becoming a country in which health care needs are driven by older persons with chronic diseases. Unfortunately, the current health care system is unable to provide high-quality care for this population, particularly for those who have geriatric conditions such as dementia, falls, and urinary incontinence.1 In response to poor quality, the Institute of Medicine has called for fundamental changes in how care is provided.2 Such change has been exceptionally difficult because of an outmoded financing system, slow adoption of information technology, and overwhelming inertia in all sectors of the health care delivery system.
Over the last 2 decades, a variety of models have been developed and tested to improve the care of older persons.3-4 The sum of this research is an emerging vision of optimal health care …
