Multi-morbidity: A patient perspective on navigating the health care system and everyday life

Objective: The importance of everyday life when managing the burden of treatment is rarely studied. This article explores the burden of treatment among people with multi-morbidity by investigating the tension between everyday life and the health care system.
Method: This was an ethnographic study using individual interviews and participant-observations. An inductive analytical approach was applied, moving from observations and results to broader generalisations.
Results: People with multi-morbidity experience dilemmas related to their individual priorities in everyday life and the management of their treatment burdens. Dilemmas were identified within three domains: family and social life; work life; agendas and set goals in appointments with health professionals. Individual resources and priorities in everyday life play a dominant role in resolving dilemmas and navigating the tension between everyday life and the health care system.
Discussion: People with multi-morbidity are seldom supported by health professionals in resolving the dilemmas they must face. This study suggests an increased focus on patient-centredness and argues in favour of planning health care through cooperation between health professionals and people with multi-morbidity in a way that integrates both health and everyday life priorities.