A multidisciplinary approach for patients with multiple chronic conditions: IMPACTO study.

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Internal Medicine
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Polypathological patients (PP) often experience high healthcare utilization.
• Effective management strategies for PP are crucial for improving outcomes and reducing healthcare costs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a multidisciplinary intervention on hospital admissions and hospitalization days in polypathological patients (PP).
• To assess the effect of specific interventions on the mortality of PP.

Main Methods:

• A multicenter quasi-experimental pre-post study design with a 12-month follow-up.
• Inclusion of 420 polypathological patients (PP) meeting specific criteria.
• Implementation of 11 interventions by a multidisciplinary team including physicians, nurses, and pharmacists.

Main Results:

• Significant reduction in hospital admissions (1.52 to 0.82) and hospitalization days (13.77 to 7.21) post-intervention (p<0.001).
• 12-month mortality rate was 37.7%.
• Lack of structured internal medicine visits and educational workshops increased 12-month mortality risk (HR: 1.68 and HR: 2.86, respectively).

Conclusions:

• Multidisciplinary interventions effectively reduce hospital admissions and days of hospitalization for polypathological patients (PP).
• Structured internal medicine visits and educational workshops are associated with improved survival in PP.
• Targeted interventions can mitigate adverse outcomes in polypathological populations.