What is Multimorbidity?
Multimorbidity is the presence of two or more long-term health conditions in a person at the same time. It can include:
- Physical conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or cancer
- Mental health conditions, such as schizophrenia, dementia, or a mood disorder
- Infectious diseases, such as HIV or hepatitis C
- Ongoing conditions, such as learning disability
- Symptom complexes, such as chronic pain or frailty
- Sensory impairment, such as hearing or sight loss
- Alcohol or substance misuse
How would you explain Multimorbidity?
Why is multimorbidity important?
Multimorbidity is also known as “multiple long-term conditions”. It’s associated with a number of issues, including:
- Reduced life expectancy and quality of life
- High treatment burden
- Mental health difficulties, such as anxiety and depression
- Polypharmacy, or the prescription of many medications
- Increased use of health services
The prevalence of multimorbidity increases with age and socioeconomic deprivation, and is almost universal in older adults. By 2035 1 in 2 people using healthcare will have multimorbdity.