Multimorbidity: negotiating priorities and making progress

Abstract

Background: Patients with multimorbidity are increasingly common in general practice. Multimorbidity is a challenge for both patients and practitioners because of the complexity of care and its impact on patients' lives. Single-disease-based guidelines are of limited use to providers managing patients with multimorbidity.

Objective: The article aims to discuss how multimorbidity can be best managed in general practice. It does this within the framework of a patient-centred approach that recognises the importance of finding common ground with patients in setting priorities and assessing the impact of care.

Discussion: Providing effective care for multimorbidity requires shared decision-making about goals with patients and more effective communication and coordination between providers. For this group of patients, our current single-disease-based models of care need to be replaced with more integrated ones in which the impact of all the patient's conditions on their quality of life are considered.