A survey of seniors with multiple chronic diseases identifies a number of barriers to self-care that are associated with lower perceived health status and physical functioning, but which may be amenable to intervention.
Specifically, the survey of 352 seniors with an average of 8.7 chronic diseases identified the following potentially mutable barriers to self-care: identifying and treating depressive symptoms; providing individualized patient education regarding medical conditions; enhancing physical functioning through physical therapy, manual aids and other support; resolving situations in which symptoms and treatments for separate conditions interfere with each other; and striving for collaborative care choices that take into account patients’ financial resources.
The authors conclude that clinicians must be alert to the individual needs of these patients and have systematic approaches in place to match their needs with available resources.
Barriers to Self-Management and Quality-of-Life Outcomes in Seniors With Multimorbidities
By Elizabeth A. Bayliss, M.D., M.S.P.H., et al