Archive for the ‘Chronic Disease’ Category

jseng
John
Seng

Getting Hip To Stopping Diabetes

Tuesday, June 29th, 2010
Photo by Michael Murphy

Photo by Michael Murphy

I spent this past Father's Day morning riding 20 miles with my son Bobby on our bikes in the National Capital Tour de Cure in Reston, Virginia. No breakfast in bed for me!

Over the past eight years, Spectrum has sponsored our "Spokes Persons" team in the American Diabetes Association's annual ride to stop diabetes. Tour de Cure rides take place throughout the U.S. each year.

Diabetes is not a "sexy" or trendy disease. It's not as socially "hip" as breast cancer, in the sense that hundreds of thousands of people walk or run or ride to raise hundreds of millions of dollars that flow to diabetes research and survivor organizations, as happens with breast cancer. What's breast cancer got that diabetes doesn't?

For starters, breast cancer deeply scares people, affects mostly women, tugs at our emotions, and generally gets our attention in a big way when we hear about a friend or family member with a diagnosis. And breast cancer reigns supreme among awareness, advocacy and funding.

Too far down the respect scale, too many of the people afflicted with or at risk of diabetes don't understand the severity of the illness. There's a lack of fear due to a lack of education, real appreciation for the devastation diabetes can cause. We are nationally unobsessed with diabetes, unfortunately. (more...)

Posted in Chronic Disease, Disease Awareness, Fundraising
By John Seng | 3 Comments »

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kmaynard
Katherine
Maynard

Innovative Efforts to Improve Medication Adherence

Monday, June 28th, 2010

Last week, commuting to work on the DC Metro, I stumbled across a New York Times article talking about how some health care groups are paying patients to take their medications in an effort to improve adherence.

For years, people have been talking about medication adherence or the lack thereof and of course we hear the often repeated billion dollar number to characterize the costs associated with avoidable hospitalizations or lost productivity at work. While we might be becoming immune to the billion and trillion dollar figures increasingly found everywhere, there are still a few simple numbers that continue to stand out when it comes to treatment compliance:

  • As many as half of all patients do not take their medications as prescribed.
  • Upwards of 25% of patients never fill their prescriptions at all.
  • Even for those patients who have health insurance and no treatment co-pays, non-adherence rates for almost 40%.
  • Many doctors have too many patients and too little time - the average office visit lasts just fifteen minutes.  (more...)

Posted in Chronic Disease, Disease Awareness
By Katherine Maynard | No Comments »

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Molly Poarch
Molly
Poarch

The Team Approach to Breast Cancer Care

Monday, May 17th, 2010

Upon learning that she has breast cancer a woman is immediately faced with a series of key decisions and a challenging road ahead. Often, her physician plays an important role in helping her navigate the many stages of treatment that may involve surgery (such as a lumpectomy or mastectomy), radiation and chemotherapy.

In the face of so many difficult emotional and physical decisions, many women do not immediately think about breast reconstruction surgery. And, unfortunately, neither do their physicians.

A 2007 study from the University of Michigan Medical Center shows that nearly 70 percent of women who are eligible for breast reconstruction are not fully informed of their options related to surgery. The study found that “most general surgeons do not discuss reconstruction with their breast cancer patients before surgical treatment. ” However, when this discussion does occur, it significantly impacts a woman’s treatment choice. In fact, she is more likely to choose mastectomy.chronic_disease

For many women, if they are informed about their choices, they can choose to have a mastectomy and reconstructive breast surgery at the same time. For the patient, this means less surgery, which cuts down on hospital time and recovery time—significant factors for anyone, but especially a cancer patient.

Recently, Spectrum helped the Society for Women’s Health Research partner with the American Society of Plastic Surgeons to host a roundtable discussion with members of the media, breast cancer survivors, patient advocacy organizations and medical professionals to discuss the importance of cancer care professionals working as a team and presenting a woman with all of her options at the outset of her diagnosis. They call this the “Team Approach” to breast cancer care.

(more...)

Posted in Chronic Disease
By Molly Poarch | No Comments »

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Molly Poarch
Molly
Poarch

America’s Graying Population

Tuesday, April 27th, 2010

In 1946 post-war America, more than 3 million babies were born-22 percent more than the previous year. This trend continued throughout 1964, making way for a generation of Americans affectionately known as Baby Boomers.

Today, this "youth generation" is becoming a graying population. According to the Alliance for Aging Research, in 2011, 10,000 people will turn 65 every day and this will continue for 20 years. Leaders in government, business and the healthcare industry all seem to be asking the same question: Given the unprecedented size and event of this generational transition, how will Boomers define (or redefine) "old age?" Will these 78 million Americans lead active, healthy and independent lives or will they be plagued by chronic disease and disability as they age? chronic_disease
(more...)

Posted in Chronic Disease
By Molly Poarch | No Comments »

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RCano
Rosalba
Cano

Sarcoma, a Rare Disease with a Common Need: Increase Research to Advance Treatments

Thursday, April 22nd, 2010

Throughout my career in healthcare communications, I've had the opportunity to learn about several of the more than 6,000 rare diseases that, taken together, affect approximately 25 million Americans - and have often thought, "I hope no one near me is directly affected by this disease - or any disease for that matter."

Rare diseases are those that are extremely uncommon - ones that affect less than 200,000 people in the U.S. - and often have such low prevalence that the average doctor would most likely not run into more than one case of that disease in their career, if ever. chronic_disease

When I recently began working on sarcoma outreach, I again thought, "I hope no one close to me has sarcoma." This time, my wishful thinking didn't work. I found out not one but two people I work with have first-hand experience with sarcoma. One colleague's father recently underwent surgery, after receiving chemotherapy, to remove a sarcoma tumor. To date, he is doing well and continues to have frequent check-ups to assess new growth. Another coworker was not quite as fortunate.  Her uncle lost his battle with a rare form of sarcoma within six months of his diagnosis. As you read this post, look around and talk to your friends, relatives or coworkers. You, too, may find out that a rare disease such as sarcoma is not completely unknown to those around you. (more...)

Posted in Chronic Disease, Disease Awareness
By RCano | 1 Comment »

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jseng
John
Seng

All Aboard the TRAIN

Thursday, April 8th, 2010

As I began this blog, I was rumbling along on a once-again late Acela/Amtrak train DC-bound from New York, looking out in the inky darkness, pondering over what to write about next. The conductor appeared, punching everyone's tickets. I asked him why the train was 20 minutes late. At first he said he didn't know, but then he remembered that the trains were running much more slowly because of the 90° plus heat of the day. It was the tracks, he said.

The tracks...now where had I heard that before? Suddenly, I had my inspiration for this blog. train-5

I decided to visit the Web site of my friend Margaret Anderson, executive director of FasterCures. The metaphorical premise of Faster Cures is that humanity doesn't need faster trains rolling toward cures for diseases. Instead, we need faster tracks for the trains to move medical research more quickly toward cures for chronic diseases, from the most prevalent to the rarest of the rare. (Perhaps even ahead of schedule for once?)

I had run into Margaret months earlier also aboard another Acela. She told me about a conference she was planning called "Partnering for Cures," and asked if Spectrum would give her a hand with promoting attendance. We were only too happy to help and the conference attendance numbered well past 600, exceeding most expectations.

For the most part, I love trains. They've helped build this country, and have inspired much of our culture. For instance, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland presents a film called "Mystery Train" about how the very roots of rock are tied to the rails and the people who rode and lived on them in the early 20th century. (more...)

Posted in Chronic Disease
By John Seng | 1 Comment »

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