The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention defines health literacy as "the degree to which individuals have the ability to find, understand, and use information and services to inform health-related decisions and actions for themselves and others."

A patient’s chronic illness journey is cyclical and complex. It's not a linear path but a continuous loop of pre-service, service, and post-service interactions with the healthcare system. Without adequate self-management, health literacy, and personal discipline, a patient’s health can deteriorate, and their condition worsens significantly.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is growing in prevalence, impacting more than 37 million Americans. More than 100,000 of these patients begin dialysis each year and 20% of those diagnosed die from the disease or its complications. At an annual cost of $114 billion annually, CKD is one of the most expensive chronic illnesses.

Gastroenterology is a complicated specialty that helps patients with multifaceted clinical and quality-of-life issues. Yet, these providers face increased challenges, such as falling reimbursements, increasing patient demand, and physician shortages.

In the US, diabetes affects more than 38 million adults, making up 11.6% of the population, costing more than $306 billion in direct medical costs.

ThoroughCare’s analytics capabilities provide many reports and dashboards that help leaders and their teams manage all aspects of care management, including clinical, financial, and operational performance.

According to research published in the journal Primary Health Care Research & Development, there is strong evidence that care management benefits patients and providers by:

Physician practices, payors, and health system leaders rely on key performance indicators (KPIs) to achieve their clinical, financial, and operational goals.

Health behavior change is challenging for most individuals and can be particularly difficult for patients living with chronic health conditions or physical, mental, or social risk barriers. Care management programs and clinical teams can provide personalized and powerful support to facilitate the changes that patients seek.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reimburses for an optional assessment of social determinants of health (SDOH). When the evaluation is conducted as part of the Medicare Annual Wellness Visit (AWV), the beneficiary will not be burdened by a cost-sharing obligation.