Dr. Scott Braunstein is the Chief Medical Officer of Sollis Health.
In the early 1900s, improved public health brought about a major shift: Deaths from infectious illnesses like pneumonia, tuberculosis and diphtheria declined. Meanwhile, deaths from noncommunicable illnesses like heart disease and cancer began to increase, as noted by research published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings: Innovations, Quality & Outcomes. The good news was that better sanitation and hygiene, the advent of antibiotics and universal childhood vaccination programs meant people were living longer than ever before.
The bad news? Chronic illnesses associated with age and other risk factors—like diabetes, stroke and autoimmune illnesses—have become more prevalent and costly. As chronic conditions increase in younger people, in particular, the healthcare industry must take action.
Chronic illness is affecting younger adults.
More than a century later, chronic illnesses account for eight of the 10 leading causes of death in the U.S., according to the aforementioned Mayo Clinic Proceedings research. While age is one of the main risk factors for the development of these conditions, trends are worsening for younger adults (ages 18 to 34). Now, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately six in 10 young American adults have one or more chronic conditions. “Among young adults, from 2013 to 2023, prevalence increased significantly from 52.5% to 59.5% for 1 or more conditions and from 21.8% to 27.1% for [multiple chronic conditions]
,” the research said.
With lifestyle and environmental risks also playing a role in the development of chronic conditions, many are preventable or reversible, especially for younger people. In order to improve health outcomes across the board and quality of life for everyone, the healthcare industry must help prevent, detect and treat these conditions earlier in adulthood.
Preventable illnesses are on the rise.
Among young adults, the most common chronic illnesses are obesity, depression and high cholesterol, the CDC also said, all of which can be screened for during a routine physician visit. These conditions, if left untreated, can result in even more serious downstream conditions, such as heart attack, stroke and kidney failure. While these may be managed or improved with lifestyle changes, there is a major factor standing in the way of better health for young adults: access to healthcare.
Younger adults are more likely to lack insurance and not have a primary care provider. Lack of access to consistent care can lead to delayed or missed diagnoses, lack of treatment and an over-reliance on already overburdened urgent care and emergency rooms.
This dysfunction can also lead to missed screening opportunities for other chronic conditions, like early-onset cancers, some of which are also on the rise in younger populations. As the previously mentioned CDC article recommends, “Regardless of age, avoiding and addressing … risk behaviors, as well as following screening guidelines, are critical for reducing the prevalence of chronic conditions across the adult life course and improving the likelihood of decreased illness and early death.”
The healthcare industry can support systemic change.
I believe better, more consistent access to healthcare can help younger people address acute conditions at the onset while preventing them from developing chronic conditions in the long run. As healthcare providers, our industry can create the framework for uplifting patients with education, resources and guidance to combat the lifestyle and environmental causes of chronic conditions.
How can we do this? By making healthcare:
1. More Preventive: Chronic conditions typically begin slowly and develop gradually over time, often before there are symptoms. When making recommendations for a healthier lifestyle, like diet or exercise, providers should also emphasize preventive care like screening tests, vaccines, dental cleanings and education about their risks and family history.
2. More Flexible: Life is busy, especially for younger patients already struggling to access consistent care with the same provider. Services like virtual care and telemedicine, concierge care and evening or weekend specialist access are all potential solutions in a healthcare system struggling to adapt to needs that occur outside of standard business hours.
3. More Connected: Ineffectual coordination of care among primary care physicians, emergency care providers and specialists can result in unnecessary testing, delayed diagnoses and suboptimal treatment. Better care navigation and coordination of care among providers by use of systems such as the health information exchange could make a difference by helping boost health outcomes and consumer trust, potentially leading to more uptake in services.
Care that’s more preventive, more flexible and more connected can not only support patients of all ages who are currently managing chronic illness—but also help prevent patients, particularly younger ones, from developing additional chronic illness later in life.
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