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Multiple chronic conditions: prevalence, health consequences, and implications for quality, care management, and

Christine Vogeli1, Alexandra E Shields, Todd A Lee

  • 1Institute for Health Policy in the Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA. cvogeli@partners.org

Journal of General Internal Medicine
|December 6, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Multiple chronic conditions affect many Americans, yet their combinations and impacts are poorly understood. Research and care often focus on single diseases, highlighting a critical gap in managing complex patient needs.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Gerontology
  • Health Services Research

Background:

  • A significant and increasing portion of the US population lives with multiple chronic conditions (MCCs).
  • Current clinical guidelines and research predominantly address single conditions, neglecting the complexities of MCCs.
  • There is limited understanding of how specific chronic conditions cluster and the resulting health ramifications.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review existing literature on the prevalence and health challenges associated with co-occurring chronic conditions.
  • To summarize the implications of MCCs for disease burden, quality of care, and healthcare costs.
  • To identify gaps in knowledge regarding the impact of specific chronic condition combinations.

Main Methods:

  • A Medline literature review was conducted.
  • Publications examined somatic chronic conditions co-occurring with one or more additional specific chronic illnesses.
  • The review focused on studies published between January 2000 and March 2007.

Main Results:

  • The review synthesizes current understanding of the prevalence of MCCs.
  • It highlights the health challenges and burdens associated with having multiple co-occurring conditions.
  • The findings underscore the impact of MCCs on healthcare quality and costs.

Conclusions:

  • Improved understanding of chronic condition clustering is crucial for effective patient care.
  • Addressing MCCs is essential for improving the quality and cost-effectiveness of healthcare for a large patient segment.
  • Further research is needed to fully grasp the ramifications of specific combinations of chronic conditions.

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