The cure for the traditional, fractured approach to treating polychronic conditions is bringing multi-specialty care to the patient—in their own home. The disease burden of chronic conditions has been rising dramatically—a Milken Institute report estimated that 30.8 million people in the U.S. had three or more chronic diseases in 2015; projections suggest that approximately 83.4 million people in the U.S. will have three or more chronic diseases by 2030. These “polychronic” patients have complex care needs that strain resources and negatively impact quality of life. Multiple factors drive these trends. Longer lifespans and lifestyle choices increase the chances of developing multiple chronic conditions; for example, the rise in obesity is linked to a higher risk of having several metabolic conditions, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and hypertension. This trend not only contributes to poor health outcomes it is also places financial strain on the industry, as 90% of the $5 trillion spent on U.S. healthcare annually involves people with chronic conditions. Unfortunately, our healthcare system has not been adjusted to the changing demographics in the U.S. Diagnosing and treating a person’s health in a silo, organ by organ, is an expensive, ineffective, and antiquated way of delivering care. For positive outcomes, a comprehensive and personalized approach, simultaneously evaluating and treating the whole person and all chronic conditions, is required. Historic, Systemic Issues The current healthcare model misses the “big picture” by focusing on each chronic condition separately. There are three major problems with this historic approach: Patients quickly experience “specialist fatigue,”…
