Decision-making about the care of patients with multiple chronic conditions can be complicated, but is feasible, found new study led by Mary Tinetti, MD, Gladys Phillips Crofoot Professor of Medicine and Public Health and chief of geriatrics.
Researchers designed a qualitative study comprised of primary care clinicians, cardiologists, and the Patient Priorities implementation team (geriatricians, physician training and behavioral medicine experts), and looked at the care of older patients who took many medications and saw more than one specialist for their chronic medical conditions.
“For older adults with multiple chronic conditions, we advise that clinicians start with one outcome that matters most to the patient and review their health outcome goals and healthcare preferences,” explained Tinetti. “These strategies will help to guide implementation of patient priorities-aligned care for older adults with multiple chronic health conditions.”
The team clustered the decisional challenges into three groups and identified strategies to work through the challenges presented. The strategies are general in nature and should be adapted for each clinical situation.
Other Yale authors are Darce Costello, EdD, MPH, MPA; Gregory Ouellet, MD; and Mary Geda, BSN, MSN, RN.
Read the full paper, “Challenges and strategies in patients’ health priorities-aligned decision-making for older adults with multiple chronic conditions,” in PLOS One.