Goals of older hospitalized patients with multimorbidity

PurposePatient-centered healthcare, with aligning treatment to a patients' goal, is recognized by experts as essential to improve healthcare for older patients with multimorbidity. Little literature exists on goals of these specific patients. Therefore, we aimed to explore goals of older hospitalized patients with multimorbidity and compare their goals to those of older hospitalized patients without multimorbidity.MethodsOlder hospitalized patients (aged >= 70 years) were included in a prospective mixed-methods cohort study at the University Medical Centre Groningen, the Netherlands. Goals were assessed by a standardized interview, whereafter they were categorized and analyzed descriptively.ResultsFour hundred and ninety-three older hospitalized patients (median age 75 (IQR 72-80), 64% male) were included, of which 223 patients presented with multimorbidity (45%). Goals mentioned most often were 'controlling disease' and 'alleviating complaints'. No differences were found in goals mentioned by patients with and without multimorbidity. Forty-one percent of both patients with and without multimorbidity mentioned goals that were disease-unrelated.ConclusionNo major differences were found in goals of older hospitalized patients with and without multimorbidity. However, the large proportion of patients mentioning disease-unrelated goals emphasizes the importance of goal elicitation by healthcare professionals within hospital care to provide optimally integrated care. Key Summary PointsAimTo explore goals of older hospitalized patients with multimorbidity and compare their goals to those of older hospitalized patients without multimorbidity.FindingsNo differences were found in goals mentioned by patients with and without multimorbidity. Forty-one percent of both patients with and without multimorbidity mentioned goals that were disease-unrelated.MessageThe large proportion of patients mentioning disease-unrelated goals emphasizes the importance of goal elicitation by healthcare professionals within hospital care to provide optimally integrated care.

Automated summary

This study aimed to explore the treatment goals of older hospitalized patients with multimorbidity and compare them to those of older hospitalized patients without multimorbidity. It was found that there were no significant differences in treatment goals between patients with and without multimorbidity, but approximately 41% of patients mentioned goals that were unrelated to their diseases. This emphasizes the importance of healthcare professionals eliciting treatment goals from patients within hospital care to provide integrated care.