[Reforming the healthcare for older patients with co-morbidity]

On hospital admission, older people generally have various, interacting comorbid conditions and an increased risk of fatal or nearly fatal events. This complex presentation necessitates a patient-centred healthcare instead of the initiation of various non-integrated disease strategies along the lines ofthe traditional (sub-)specialties. An international comparison of life expectancy after age 65 shows that the Netherlands is progressively lagging behind other European countries and countries elsewhere in the world. This observation indicates a necessity to reform the Dutch healthcare system to better meet the complex needs of older people.