Chronic diseases comprise the greatest cause of premature death and disability in the United States. At present, there are 100 million individuals suffering from chronic diseases in the United States. While the causes of the seven primary chronic diseases (congestive heart failure, type 2 diabetes, hypertension/heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, chronic neuromuscular pain, and depression) may vary, each disease can result in acute and disabling health events and premature death. These long-term conditions can impose considerable hardship on the health and economic status of patients, their families, communities, and the nation. As the prevalence of chronic disease continues to rise in our aging population, the accompanying health and economic costs will increase exponentially—unless we successfully devise a new model for managing chronic disease.

Each disease requires regular, intense medical management and monitoring to effectively combat its potential for adverse consequences, and allow people to live healthier, fuller lives. Current management of chronic disease revolves around, on the one hand, extremely expensive yet accurate technology confined to the hospital, and on the other hand, inaccurate and unreliable home monitoring methods. One case study explored extensively by the Abramson Center has focused on the current methods for the management of congestive heart failure (CHF). For the majority of CHF patients, monitoring their disease relies upon the cost-prohibitive, yet extremely effective, Echo Doppler, or on limited home methods as simple and unreliable as a bathroom scale.

The Blue Box Project has developed a new intervention and technology paradigm for managing chronic disease; one that allows the patient to control his or her health status at home, and in collaboration with medical professionals. Improved disease monitoring by patients themselves will improve outcomes, prevent premature death, and break the cycle of repeated hospitalizations. This efficient and cost-effective health service model employs cutting-edge wireless technology, non-invasive bio-monitoring, and an innovative disease modeling system to establish a home-based continuum of care in which patients and health providers work cooperatively to monitor, treat, and manage chronic disease. A collaborative team, drawn from academia, the medical establishment, industry and community health providers, is crafting this revolutionary approach to chronic disease management.

Today, the Abramson Center is working on applying the Blue Box paradigm to three of the seven major chronic diseases, including congestive heart failure, asthma, and metabolic syndrome. In addition, we are working to address other health management needs, specifically regarding ICU monitoring for treatment of aortic aneurisms.