Chronically ill

Introduction

Chronic diseases are the most frequently diagnosed diseases in the industrialised countries. In Germany a total of almost 20% of the population is considered chronically ill. Not only adults but also children are relatively often affected by chronic diseases. Chronic illnesses therefore represent a large proportion of the diagnoses made and are therefore a challenge for the health system.

The term chronic diseases is defined as follows: Chronically ill are persons who have been suffering from the same disease for at least one year and are treated by a doctor at least once a quarter. Likewise, the person affected must have at least one of the following defined characteristics:

  • Care level 2 or 3
  • A degree of disability of at least 60% or a degree of gainful employment of at least 60%
  • Continuous medical care (medical or psychotherapeutic treatment, drug therapy, treatment care, provision of remedies and aids) without which, according to medical assessment, a life-threatening aggravation, a reduction in life expectancy or a permanent impairment of quality of life is to be expected due to the underlying serious chronic disease (G-BA). According to this definition, a number of different diseases can thus lead to chronic illness.

The duration of a chronic illness can vary individually depending on the illness and the course of the illness. Thus, some diseases can be cured by medical measures, while other people remain chronically ill for the rest of their lives. In many cases, chronic diseases are illnesses that slowly change the body and can therefore only be treated for a long time.

Usually one or more organ systems are affected by a chronic disease. Nevertheless, accidents and injuries can also lead to a chronic disease. The therapy always depends on the existing illness and can be treated in hospital or on an outpatient basis, depending on the illness. The presence of a chronic illness has, in addition to personal effects, also consequences for the maximum amount of co-payments to be paid to the health insurance company. The amount of co-payments for medical measures and medication is reduced if the illness is chronic.

Causes for chronic diseases

The causes that lead to chronic illness are manifold. In very many cases it is a matter of diseases which change the body over a long period of time and which are already relatively far advanced at the time of diagnosis. Due to the advanced stage of the disease, the required duration of therapy is also extended.

If there is a physical limitation due to the illness, it is possible that the person affected is classified as chronically ill. There are some illnesses which very often lead to a chronic illness. For example, people with cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure and coronary heart disease, as well as those with lung diseases (bronchial asthma, COPD) are often chronically ill.

The skeletal and muscular systems are also frequent localizations of chronic diseases. The high number of people who visit the doctor with long-lasting back pain is an expression of this widespread problem. All cancers as well as diabetes mellitus also fall under the heading of chronic diseases. Also frequent are mental illnesses as a trigger for the presence of a chronic illness. This includes addiction such as alcoholism as well as depression and other mental illness states.