"Where do we go from here?" Health system frustrations expressed by patients with multimorbidity, their caregivers and family physicians.

OBJECTIVES

This study explored the care challenges experienced by older patients with multimorbidity, their informal caregivers and family physicians.

APPROACH

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 27 patients, their informal caregivers and family physicians. Qualitative description was used to identify key themes in the interview transcripts.

RESULTS

Participants experienced many common challenges when managing multimorbidity, including a lack of decision-making support, poor communication and uncoordinated health services. Within these themes, unique perspectives specific to the role of being a patient, caregiver or family physician emerged.

CONCLUSION

The study adds to a limited evidence base on the experience of patients with multimorbidity. By including the perspectives of their family caregivers and physicians, we provide important insight into the management of multimorbidity and recommend the uptake of specific strategies to address them.