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In the Illinois Rural Health Association’s 2016 winter newsletter, Benefit Performance Associates’ Research Director, Christina Krause, PhD., identifies that rural residents are more likely to suffer from substance abuse in comparison to their urban counterparts1.
Her study addresses the frequency of chronic conditions among individuals residing in rural and urban locations. The frequency of substance abuse in rural locations was 49% compared to 26% in urban areas. Individuals in these populations suffered from multiple chronic conditions (MCC), with averages ranging from 17.9 conditions in rural areas, to 19.2 in urban locations. These multitudes of conditions can neither be properly addressed nor effectively managed with the small allotment of time providers have in the traditional healthcare system. Rural residents may suffer more drastically due to having inadequate access to healthcare resources2. Dr. Krause suggests an “effective disease management program that can address each individual’s multiple psychological and physical issues” as the solution to helping those with ailments and low quality of life due to MCC.
Through advocacy, education and support, the Integrated Health Advocacy Program (IHAP) collaborates with individuals and their providers to implement appropriate interventions, to avoid redundancy of treatments, and to increase medication compliance. As an effective multi-disciplinary disease management program, IHAP has proven to enhance the quality of life in this population. To learn more about achieving these results with IHAP, contact Dawn Tishkoff at 630-761-4427 or dtishkoff@ihap.com.
1 Krause, CM. (2016). The Challenges of Providing Health Care for Individuals with Multiple Chronic Conditions. Illinois Rural Health Association Winter Newsletter. Retrieved from: http://irha19.wildapricot.org/resources/Documents/IRHA%20Winter%20Newsletter%202016.pdf
2 Franche RL, Murray EJ, Ostry A, Ratner PA, Wagner SL, Harder HG. (2010). Work disability prevention in rural healthcare workers. Rural and Remote Health (Internet); 10: 1502. Available: http://www.rrh.org.au/articles/subviewnew.asp?ArticleID=1502
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