Multimorbidity

Multiple morbidities or Multimorbidities means co-occurring diseases. For example, a person could have diabetes and heart disease and high blood pressure. In the Medicare population, 65% of patients have two or more chronic illnesses. Some of the difficulties experienced by patients include: poor coordination of medical care, managing multiple medications, increases in their time spent managing illness, difficulty managing multiple illness management regimes,> and aggravation of one condition by symptoms or treatment of another.Concerning the qualitative experience of people with multimorbid chronic illness, Jowsey et al (2009) write: 'Co-morbidity increased the amount of time participants spent managing their health and increased patients' dependency on others. Patients with co-morbid conditions encountered problems with the coordination between services and with polypharmacy. Patients prioritised the management of one condition over another; consequently, some health issues could be neglected or compromised. The three most common challenges to patients and carers in managing chronic illness (either caused or made worse by co-morbidity), relate to acting on risk factors, recognising signs and symptoms of illness and managing medications.' These kinds of challenges for people living with multiple chronic conditions have direct implications for health services and the way they support patient self-management. Multiple morbidities or Multimorbidities means co-occurring diseases. For example, a person could have diabetes and heart disease and high blood pressure. In the Medicare population, 65% of patients have two or more chronic illnesses. Some of the difficulties experienced by patients include: poor coordination of medical care, managing multiple medications, increases in their time spent managing illness, difficulty managing multiple illness management regimes,> and aggravation of one condition by symptoms or treatment of another.Concerning the qualitative experience of people with multimorbid chronic illness, Jowsey et al (2009) write: 'Co-morbidity increased the amount of time participants spent managing their health and increased patients' dependency on others. Patients with co-morbid conditions encountered problems with the coordination between services and with polypharmacy. Patients prioritised the management of one condition over another; consequently, some health issues could be neglected or compromised. The three most common challenges to patients and carers in managing chronic illness (either caused or made worse by co-morbidity), relate to acting on risk factors, recognising signs and symptoms of illness and managing medications.' These kinds of challenges for people living with multiple chronic conditions have direct implications for health services and the way they support patient self-management. Multimorbidity is common in people who are elderly, malnourished, or poor. Multi-morbidity is common in people with dementia, with the average person with dementia living with five other chronic conditions. The Medication Appropriateness Tool for Comorbid Health in Dementia (MATCH-D) was developed for this reason to support clinicians to manage medications for these people. Medication Appropriateness Tool for Comorbid Health Conditions During Dementia (MATCH-D)