Rates of chronic illness are rising rapidly in Canada in conjunction with our aging population. Chronic diseases now constitute the major demand on Canadian health-care resources. This is particularly relevant to women, who live longer and experience higher rates of chronic disease than men. Women may also experience unique challenges in managing chronic diseases.

Researchers at WCRI are working to improve our understanding of chronic illnesses and to improve the health services and supports available to people living with chronic disease. People living with chronic conditions often require long-term support and monitoring and health services that are well adapted to ambulatory health care settings.

Here are some of the research initiatives currently underway at WCRI:

Effective Use of Medications to Manage Chronic Disease
WCRI senior scientist, Dr. Paula Rochon, and her colleague Dr. Geoffrey Anderson are leading a Canadian Institutes of Health Research team in pharmacological management of chronic disease in older adults. This team explores the risks and benefits of current prescribing practices to older adults living in the community who may be receiving multiple medications for multiple chronic conditions. The team is taking a critical look at current practices, posing questions about appropriate drug treatment in complex care. Learn more about this research team and their work.

Improving Quality of Care in Long-Term Care Homes
The Interdisciplinary Capacity Enhancement Team (ICE) aims to determine patterns of adverse drug events, to identify groups of individuals who may be at risk of receiving sub-standard care, and ultimately to develop and evaluate strategies to change prescribing patterns and improve the quality of drug therapy used by long-term care residents.
WCRI senior scientist, Dr. Paula Rochon, and her colleague Dr. Geoffrey Anderson are leading the ICE team focusing on improving the quality of care provided to vulnerable older adults. Learn more about this research team and their work.

Linking People Together: Telehealth and Chronic Disease Self-Management
People with chronic diseases need to know about exercise and nutrition. They may need techniques to deal with frustration and pain. People living with chronic disease also need support in communicating about their illness to family, friends and health-care providers. Work at Stanford University has shown that self-management groups can help people feel more able to deal with their illness and can improve some measures of health. How could such services be made available to people across Ontario? Dr. Susan Jaglal and her team have just partnered with the Ontario Telemedicine Network to test using the Telehealth system for this purpose. Participants can attend at their local hospital and be linked to a remote facilitator or to a larger group of participants in other centres.

Management of Chronic Diseases Links

• Pharmacologic Management
• Interdisciplinary Capacity Enhancement Team (ICE)
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