Telerheumatology and the chronic care model

Patients suffering from chronic, debilitating diseases like rheumatologic disorders (RDs) need constant support and regular interventions. This mandates the need for a multidimensional, multidisciplinary approach that includes self-care and social support to achieve an acceptable quality of life. The chronic care model, encompassing six major aspects of patient care, is one of the most widely accepted approaches to chronic healthcare. However, the large global burden of RDs calls for a revised model for improving access, minimizing logistic costs, and facilitating uniformity and quality. The integration of telemedicine into the chronic care model seems to the best answer to the problem at hand. Telemedicine involves using various information and communications technologies to overcome geographical barriers for clinical support and to improve healthcare outcomes. In this chapter, we attempt to understand the methods, advantages, and challenges of the application of telecare into management of RDs such as idiopathic inflammatory myositis (IIM).