The study aims to improve whole-person care. Existing management is based on guidelines for each separate condition meaning that patients often have to attend multiple appointments for each disease which can be repetitive, inconvenient and inefficient. They see different nurses and doctors who may give conflicting advice.
These patients frequently get depressed and they also sometimes complain that no-one treats them as a ‘whole person’ or takes their views into account. The study aim is to develop, optimise and test an intervention strategy to improve patients with multiple long term conditions in general practice.
"We hope our intervention will enable GPs to treat the whole patient in a consistent, joined-up manner which will improve their overall quality of life," said Mei-See Man, trial manager. "The main study phase involves 32 practices from around Bristol, Manchester and Glasgow, including a range of deprived and affluent areas as well as urban, suburban and rural areas."
The study is led by researchers at the Centre for Academic Primary Care at the University of Bristol and involves reseachers from the Universities of Manchester, Glasgow and Dundee. Findings are expected in 2018.