Multiple chronic conditions: patient characteristics and impacts on quality of life and health expenditures

Abstract

BACKGROUND: While analyses of health status often focus on a single disease, comprehensive studies of people with multiple chronic conditions – ie comorbidities - are relatively rare. This paper reports on a study of comorbidities carried out under an Australian Research Council grant. ... CONCLUSIONS: Improved chronic disease prevention - and treatment that slowed the progression of such diseases – have the potential to reduce the incidence and prevalence of comorbidities and thus lead to better quality of life and to lower health care expenditures Show more