Prehab topics
Find out more about the eight key risk factors by visiting our Prehab topics pages.
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Chronic conditions
Enjoy the knowledge check, watch our video and download top tips for your patients. Keep scrolling to see the research and useful signposts…
"Behind every chronic illness is just a person trying to find their way in the world."
Glenn Schweitzer
Author
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Watch our video
Helping your patients to optimise their chronic conditions when preparing for treatment can help them to create positive and lasting change.
FAQs
What effect does waiting for treatment have on chronic conditions?
Waiting for treatment can make life more challenging at the best of times, but especially for people who are managing chronic conditions.
How does waiting for treatment affect chronic conditions?
Patients may find it hard to keep active or maintain a healthy diet. Related issues such as pain, worry and low mood can contribute to boredom.
What impact do chronic conditions have on patient outcomes?
People with uncontrolled chronic conditions tend to have longer hospital stays and poorer outcomes. The good news is a lot of evidence shows that taking steps to reduce high blood sugar levels improves outcomes and long-term health.
What effect do chronic conditions have on recovery after treatment?
Chronic conditions negatively impact patient’s wellbeing. When their conditions are not managed before, during and after treatment, they can lead to longer recovery times and a reduced quality of life.
Which chronic conditions have the greatest impact?
Several chronic health conditions account for most adult deaths in the developed world. These include…
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Alzheimer’s disease and dementia
- Solid organ cancer
- Diabetes*
*Whilst rarely directly responsible for death, Type 2 diabetes is a known driver for the above and accounts for 20% of NHS clinical care spending.
What impact do chronic conditions have on the healthcare system?
The chronic conditions above can have huge impacts on patient’s lives, leading to increased healthcare costs, particularly into later life.
Managing chronic conditions
How to help patients when preparing for treatment
Waiting for treatment can make life more challenging at the best of times, but especially for people who are managing chronic conditions.
Lifestyle medicine
Focusing on building habits that improve overall health, this approach emphasises the use of lifestyle interventions alongside drug therapies and other treatments.
Lifestyle improvements
Typical steps include improving activity levels, diet, and sleep health, managing chronic stress levels, stopping smoking and limiting alcohol intake.
Promoting prehabilitation
Effective prehab helps patients manage existing health conditions. By promoting prehab, you empower patients to optimise their chronic conditions before treatment.
Patient engagement
Helping your patients to engage with prehab support and improve their physical and mental health has clear benefits for their current and future wellbeing.
Rehabilitation support
Linking prehab with rehabilitation support and other programmes post-treatment provides the platform to make lasting changes to a patient's quality of life.
Long term benefits
When successful, this can embed a lasting lifestyle change, leading to better control of existing chronic corditions, or preventing others from developing them in the future.
Links
Signposting
Refer patients to relevant local pathways for their chronic condition.
Click the tabs below
Various websites provide invaluable information on different chronic conditions.
Click the links on the right to see the resources.
Macmillan cancer support, the Royal College of Anaesthetists and the National Institute for Healthcare Research have produced guidance on prehabilitation as part of cancer care.
Click the links on the right to see the resources.
