What is it called when you have more than one medical condition?
The term multimorbidity was most often defined as “the presence of more than one or multiple chronic or long-term diseases or conditions”.
Is it unusual for a person to have multiple chronic illnesses?
While it may not be surprising that more and more Americans have a chronic condition, what is striking is that almost one in four Americans (approximately 75 million people) have multiple chronic conditions (MCCs).
What is a Multimorbid patient?
Complex, multimorbid patients are individuals within whom multiple chronic diagnoses (usually, more than two)1 intersect additional complications—diminished func- tion, cognitive impairment, homelessness, or substance abuse, for example.
What happens if you have multiple diseases?
Individuals with multimorbidity are more likely to die prematurely, be admitted to hospital, have longer hospital stays, poorer quality of life, and a loss of physical functioning.
What is multiple morbidity?
Multimorbidity is defined as the co-occurrence of two or more chronic conditions [1, 2] and has been estimated to affect up to 95% of the primary care population aged 65 years and older [3].
What happens when you have multiple health problems?
Figuring out the best course of treatment for multiple health problems can be tricky. For example, prescribing medications for a patient with multiple health problems is more complicated than it is when the patient has one health problem, because a drug that may be useful in treating one health problem may make another worse.
How many people have multiple chronic medical conditions?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cite statistics from the Department of Health and Human Services that show 25% of Americans have multiple chronic health conditions, and that number rises to 75% for people age 65 and older.
What’s the best way to manage multiple chronic medical conditions?
One solution is to work with specialists experienced in treating the conditions you face. For older patients, a geriatrician may be another good option to coordinate care for several chronic conditions.
What are the most common chronic health problems?
A recent study found that more than 40% of Americans have at least one chronic health problem, such as diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, cognitive problems, mental health, or substance abuse problems.
What happens when you have multiple chronic medical conditions?
In addition, people with multiple chronic medical conditions are 5 times more likely to report fair to poor mental health compared to people with no chronic conditions. If you’ve been diagnosed with multiple chronic health problems, it’s important to build a comprehensive plan to manage your care. That plan should include:
What’s the best way to manage multiple health conditions?
To prevent problems and get better care for your older adult, we found a handy tip sheet on patient-centered care from Health in Aging. It has advice for communicating with doctors and expert tips on managing multiple health conditions.
Why do I have to see multiple doctors?
Due to the specialized nature of certain conditions, multiple doctors may need to be seen by patients, which adds another layer of difficulty for physicians to stay abreast of the different treatments being utilized.
How to manage multiple chronic health conditions in seniors?
4 Expert Tips for Managing Multiple Chronic Health Conditions in Seniors 1 Tell the doctor about your older adult’s priorities for care. 2 Ask about trade-offs between benefits and risks of treatments. 3 Tell your doctor right away if a treatment doesn’t seem to be working or is causing problems. 4 Get detailed instructions for…