Chronic care model in primary care: can it improve health-related quality of life?

Abstract

Purpose: Chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and hyperlipidemia are public health concerns. However, little is known about how these affect patient-level health measures. The aim of the study was to examine the impact of a chronic care model (CCM) on the participant’s health-related quality of life (QoL). Patients and methods: Participants received either usual care or CCM by a team of health care professionals including pharmacists, nurses, dietitians, and general practitioners. The par- ticipants in the intervention group received medication counseling, adherence, and dietary advice from the health care team. The QoL was measured using the EQ-5D (EuroQoL-five dimension, health-related quality of life questionnaire) and comparison was made between usual care and intervention groups at the beginning and end of the study at 6 months. Results: Mean (standard deviation) EQ-5D index scores improved significantly in the interven- tion group (0.92±0.10 vs 0.95±0.08; P#0.01), but not in the usual care group (0.94±0.09 vs 0.95±0.09; P=0.084). Similarly, more participants in the intervention group reported improve- ments in their QoL compared with the usual care group, especially in the pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression dimensions. Conclusion: The implementation of the CCM resulted in significant improvement in QoL. An interdisciplinary team CCM approach should be encouraged, to ultimately result in behavior changes and improve the QoL of the patients.