Transcript Key Findings

Multiple Chronic Conditions Among
People with Disabilities: What we
know from the MEPS
Amanda Reichard, PhD
• Research question: What are the rates of and predictors
for co-occurring chronic diseases among those with disability?
• Data Source: Medical Expenditures Panel Survey
(MEPS)
• Key Findings:
– All disability groups (physical, cognitive, visual, hearing,
multiple) had a greater rate of MCC than working age
adults with no disability
– People with multiple disabilities or physical disability alone
were most likely to have a greater number of MCC
– Regardless of the combination of chronic diseases, those
with multiple disabilities had the highest rates of MCC, by
a substantial margin
– People with disabilities with MCC were more likely than
those without disability to report fair/poor health status
(vs. good/very good/excellent.
Key Implications for Policy
• With each added health condition there is an increased risk
for:
– An individual’s negative health outcomes (preventable
hospitalizations, duplicative tests, impaired function, adverse
drug events, conflicting medical advice and death)
– Threats to quality of life and independent living.
– Greater need for health and social support costs
• This has clear implications for policies that support and
address the social determinants of health, especially those
affecting people with physical disabilities
– improved access to services, in both health care settings and
communities at large
• Within any population, a subset of people typically drives
most of the expenditures
– HHS Strategic Initiative offers goals that show promise for
aligning more targeted interventions
Key Implications for Service Providers
and Clinicians
• All groups had very high rates of usual sources
of care, indicating that provider education
regarding MCC should play a role
– Prevalence and distribution across disability
subgroups
– Understanding that functionality as reflected by
disability influences health access and outcomes
– Understanding barriers faced by disability
subgroups
– How to best meet the unique needs of each
disability subgroup
Key Implications for
Consumers/Advocates/Families
• Consumer/Family education could also
improve quality of life outcomes and cost
reduction:
– How to overcome access barriers
– How to better manage chronic conditions to
prevent unnecessary hospitalizations
– Increased vulnerability based on functionality
Key Questions to Audience
• What types of information and in what format
do you find most useful in meeting your needs
for change (policy, professional, personal,
otherwise)?
• Do you have any specific questions about
multiple chronic conditions that were not
addressed in this presentation?