Self-management support in patients with multiple long-term conditions in the post-COVID-19 era
What we are doing?
- A systematic review to identify effective patient focused multimorbidity self-management interventions, including both quantitative and qualitative studies, with meta-analyses and meta-syntheses.
- Use qualitative methods (i.e. interviews, focus groups) to explore HCP and patient experiences and perceptions of multimorbidity self-management.
- Map current referrals, provision and/or access to multimorbidity self-management support, identifying any inequities post COVID-19 (e.g. data linkage study, geo-mapping).
- Development of a pilot study exploring a self-management intervention program in patients with multimorbidity.
Why we are doing it?
The number of people living with multimorbidity is increasing and it is associated with a lower quality of life, reduced life expectancy and increased use of health care services. Literature has shown a strong association between multimorbidity and mortality in people with COVID-19. Self-management support reduces the burden of chronic disease. However, previous research has mainly focused on self-management support for single chronic conditions, with less focus on multimorbidity. This PhD aims to advance understanding of multimorbidity and self-management support in patients with multiple long-term conditions as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic.
What the benefits will be and to whom?
This PhD will provide greater understanding of multimorbidity and self-management, which will inform patients with multimorbidity, health systems and health organisations to guide the development of self-management interventions. We also hope that this project will help develop guidance to mitigate against health inequalities for patients with multimorbidity.
Who we are working with?
- Supervisors are Dr Ffion Curtis, Dr Michelle Hadjiconstantinou and Professor Kamlesh Khunti
- Leicester Diabetes Research Centre
- Patients with multimorbidity
- Health care professionals
Contact
Ellen Hopwood, PhD student, University of Leicester, evh3@leicester.ac.uk