Physician, Public, and Policymaker Perspectives on Chronic Conditions

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Abstract
A MAJOR CHALLENGE to the medical care system of the 21st century will be to provide appropriate care to the growing number of individuals with chronic conditions. Between 2000 and 2020, the number of Americans with chronic conditions is projected to increase from 125 million to 157 million, and the number of Americans with 2 or more chronic conditions is projected to increase from 57 million to 81 million.1 People with chronic conditions accounted for more than 78% of health expenditures in 2000, and this percentage is projected to increase in the coming decades.1,2 Chronic conditions are now the leading reason why people seek medical care in the United States, yet it has been suggested that the current medical care financing and delivery system is still more oriented to providing episodic than ongoing care.3-9