Mankoff Co-Authors Chronic Lyme Disease Study
News
Chronic Lyme disease is associated with a poorer quality of life than most other chronic illnesses, according to a new comprehensive patient survey by LymeDisease.org and HCII Associate Professor Jennifer Mankoff.
The study, published in the open-access medical journal PeerJ on March 27, questioned more than 3,000 patients with chronic Lyme disease and found that they reported a poorer quality of life than patients with other chronic diseases, including congestive heart failure, diabetes, multiple sclerosis and arthritis. Compared to the general population, patients with chronic Lyme disease have high disability and unemployment rates, are five times more likely to visit healthcare providers and twice as likely to be hospitalized, the survey found.
“The degree to which this disease disrupts everyday living is not widely appreciated,” Mankoff said. “A better understanding of the patient perspective and experience is critical in order to deliver healthcare that meets patient needs.”
Read more about the study here.