NICE tackles complex health issues for people with multimorbidity

CSP members are urged to make their voice heard as part of a major consultation on how patients with two or more long-term health problems are treated.

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The rise in complex health needs is one of the biggest challenges facing healthcare

The CSP will be officially responding to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) draft guidelines on treating people with multimorbidity, and it wants physiotherapists to contribute their views.

The rise in complex health needs is one of the biggest challenges facing healthcare, and NICE estimates that 2.9 million people will have three or more long-term health problems by 2018.

NICE’s draft guidelines for England recommend offering alternative, non-pharmacological, treatment instead of some medicines, and it highlights that the more long-term physical conditions a person has, the more likely they are to also have a long-term mental health condition.

The guidance contains recommendations for assessing frailty in patients aged over 65 in both hospital and community settings, and it recommends that a performance tool should not be used to assess frailty when a person with multimorbidity is acutely unwell.

CSP professional advisor Carley King said it was important for members to contribute to the consultation and an ideal opportunity to make their voice heard on this vital topic.

‘Many of our patients have two or more long term conditions,’ she said.

‘This guideline includes recommendations on assessing for frailty and delivering a tailored approach to care, with the ultimate aim being to optimise the care by focusing on individual needs, preferences for treatments, and health priorities’.

 

 

 

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