The Weight Of The Disease: A Guest Editorial

    Weight Of The Disease: A Guest Editorial

The weight of sickness has been a significant idea in medicine for more than 100 years. The first step in finding ways to prevent, treat, and cure disease was identifying the true costs of the most common illnesses and injuries that afflicted Americans at any given time.

 Since the 1980s, economists have used quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) as their preferred measure of disease burden, allowing them to compare various illnesses or conditions on a consistent scale.

We are not alone

It is estimated that one in every four adults lives with a mental illness. That means that you are not alone in your struggles, and 

theirs is help available.

 

 However, mental illness can still be incredibly isolating. The stigma surrounding mental illness can make it hard to reach out for help, and even harder to stay connected to others.

The patient perspective

I am a patient with a disease that is considered rare. I have been fighting this disease for years, and it has taken a toll on my body and mind. I have seen firsthand the burden that this disease can place on patients and their families. 

I know that there are other patients out there who are struggling like me, and I want to help them. This is why I have decided to become an advocate for rare disease patients.

The healthcare provider perspective

The burden of disease falls not only on the shoulders of those who are sick but also on the shoulders of those who care for them. Healthcare providers are constantly working to find new and better ways to treat and prevent disease, but the burden still falls on them. 

They see firsthand the effects of disease on their patients and their families. It can be difficult to watch a patient suffer, knowing that there is nothing more you can do. 

But as a healthcare provider, you have to keep fighting. You have to keep searching for new treatments and new cures. Because one day, you might just find the key to ending the burden of disease.

The pharmaceutical perspective

It is important to remember that the burden of the disease lies not only with the patients and their families but also with the health care providers who are working tirelessly to find a cure. 

The pharmaceutical industry is committed to finding new treatments and cures for diseases, but we cannot do it alone. 

We need the support of the government, academia, and most importantly, patients and their families. We are in this fight together and we will continue to work tirelessly until we find a cure.