Constellation, le dépôt institutionnel de l'Université du Québec à Chicoutimi

Résumé

The focus of primary health care (PHC) in developed countries is now largely centred on the treatment and management of long-term or chronic diseases. Due to shared risk factors and interaction among diseases, chronic conditions are increasingly occurring in clusters.1 In Canada, more than 50% of adults aged 65 years and older report having at least two chronic diseases.2 The co-occurrence of multiple chronic diseases in an individual, or multimorbidity, is also understood to be the norm rather than the exception in PHC.3 Multimorbidity is associated with reduced quality of life, limited functional status, polypharmacy, increased mortality, and high health care costs.3 Deemed an “endless struggle” by PHC providers, multimorbidity is becoming more prevalent in younger patients and is no longer confined to elderly populations. 1,4 This phenomenon is pushing PHC providers and researchers alike to understand its multifaceted nature. A better understanding of the etiology behind multimorbidity can lead to a transformed clinical approach that will, in turn, be cost-saving in the long-run. To achieve this, three main components are necessary.