Minimally disruptive medicine for patients with complex multimorbidity

Patients with complex multimorbidity often experience a substantial burden because of the treatments they receive as well as the burden of their chronic health problems. There has been increasing recognition of this issue, particularly in the UK and US.

This article summarises the evolution of the concept ‘minimally disruptive medicine’ for patients with complex multimorbidity. It outlines some of the factors that should be considered in assessing both the burden of treatment and a patient’s capacity to cope with this workload. The potential role of shared decision-making and discussion aids such as the Instrument for Patient Capacity Assessment (ICAN) tool are highlighted.

Australian general practice is at the forefront of care for patients with complex multimorbidity. The explicit inclusion of assessment of treatment burden and capacity would encourage healthcare that is kind, empathic andfeasible.