Multimorbidity in Scotland The Scottish School of Primary Care’s Multimorbidity Research Programme.

Multimorbidity in Scotland Multimorbidity is the presence of two or more long term conditions. The Long Term Conditions Alliance Scotland call it ‘having multiple conditions’. It matters because: Living with multiple conditions is the norm rather than the exception for many people. It is associated with poorer quality of life, more hospital admissions and higher mortality Health services are largely organised to provide care for single diseases

– The majority of over-65s have 2 or more conditions, and the majority of over-75s have 3 or more conditions – More people have 2 or more conditions than only have 1 Multimorbidity is common in Scotland

Most people with any long term condition have multiple conditions in Scotland

There are more people in Scotland with multimorbidity below 65 years than above

People living in more deprived areas in Scotland develop multimorbidity 10 years before those living in the most affluent areas

Mental health problems are strongly associated with the number of physical conditions that people have, particularly in deprived areas in Scotland

People with multimorbidity in Scotland are much more likely to have emergency and potentially preventable admissions

People with multimorbidity in Scotland do not feel enabled by healthcare encounters In a study of over 3,000 GP consultations, patients with multimorbidity (compared to those without) had : More problems to discuss, which were more often complex (a mix of physical, psychological, and social); Yet Consultations were not longer for people with multi- morbidity; and Patient enablement was lower; These findings were worse in deprived areas, and GPs in deprived areas reported more stress in and after the consultations

“I’m just trying to survive and get through each day” Illness workEveryday life work Work to keep a sense of their own identity People with multiple conditions in Scotland have to ‘work’ hard just to get by. “My life is painkillers, insulin, making sure I’ve got all my stock for my stoma…. It’s really hard work” “I don’t ask for help off anybody….I’m not that kind of person. I like to be strong. I’ve always (taken) care of my self. I’ve never asked naebody for help. Ever. … And now I just don’t want to ask (the GP) for help “

“Exhausting” “Demoralising” “I feel like a wrung-out rag at the end of consultations” “If you’re too caring... you’ll crack up in a place like this. Our boundaries lie where they are because they have to at the moment” General practitioners and practice nurses in deprived areas struggle to support people with multimorbidity

Implications Multimorbidity is the norm for people with long-term conditions in Scotland Multimorbidity contributes significantly to health inequalities and the inverse care law We need to understand how to better support people with multimorbidity Primary care is central to providing this support but practitioners also need support