We collaborated with scientists, clinicians, and patients on a £4M project that aims to enhance care for people living with multiple long-term conditions.

Problem

Around 1 in 4 people in England are living with multiple long-term conditions (MLTC). This means they have two or more long-lasting illnesses. Hospital care is typically designed for the treatment of single conditions. So care for people with MLTC can be unsatisfactory, inefficient and costly. Consequently, people living with MLTC often stay in hospital for longer and their recovery may be slower. It is crucial to do research to understand how services need to be changed. However, to date, there has been little research on people with MLTC in hospital. Furthermore, existing research methods are poorly suited to capturing the complexity of multiple interacting conditions across services.

Action

•  We were part of the ADMISSION research collaborative which aimed to transform the hospital care of patients with MLTC.
• Funded by UK Research and Innovation and the NIHR, this £4 million highly collaborative project involved scientists, clinicians, and patients across five UK universities and hospitals. The project brought together expertise from clinical medicine, health services research, data science, and social science.

Outcome

• We examined how patients with MLTC are cared for in hospitals by conducting interviews with 40 NHS staff, analysing clinical guidelines and examining existing research methods.
• We also identified opportunities to improve the care for people with MLTC.
• Our insight panel and the ADMISSION patient advisory group shaped the study design, participant facing documents and recommendations. This ensured that our research was shaped by people with lived experience of MLTC alongside the wider public.

Impact

• We developed novel methods and supported early-career researchers and students to develop interdisciplinary research skills.
• Our work could help to improve care pathways which could support clinical decision making, enhance health services and lead to a better patient experience for people living with MLTC.
• Our expertise in qualitative study design, execution and analysis alongside conducting robust reviews was valuable to the overall project and is foundational for a whole range of future research in MLTC.

Access our scoping review of MLTC research

Read our review of clinical guidelines and recommendations

View the accompanying editorial

Learn more about the collaboration

Find out about our presentations to national audiences

[Photography by Gabriella Csapo from corelens via Canva.com]