New to Living with Multiple Conditions? Start Here
Living with Multiple Conditions: the few things that matter most, and the mistakes that catch people out early.
Managing more than one long-term condition at once.
Key takeaways
- Multimorbidity: two or more long-term conditions
- NICE guidance: exists specifically for managing it as a whole
- Most useful single change: Ask for a single review covering everything rather than separate ones.
- Commonest mistake: Assuming every guideline target applies to you regardless of context.
- See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to speak to a doctor" below apply to you.
Why bother
Guidelines are written one condition at a time, and following several at once can produce contradictory advice and an unmanageable pill burden.
Start here
Begin here, with two things rather than ten.
- Ask for a single review covering everything rather than separate ones
- Say plainly if the number of appointments or medicines is unmanageable
Then add these
After that, these.
- Agree what matters most to you; guidelines allow for that
The numbers, in one place
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Multimorbidity | two or more long-term conditions |
| NICE guidance | exists specifically for managing it as a whole |
| Treatment burden | a recognised outcome in its own right |
| Structured review | should cover everything together, not each condition separately |
Common early mistakes
- Assuming every guideline target applies to you regardless of context
- Stopping medicines yourself to reduce the burden
Where to go next
- What the Guidance Really Says About Living with Multiple Conditions
- Making Sense of Living with Multiple Conditions
- Living with Multiple Conditions — the reference entry
- Self-Management: What Published Guidance Supports
- What the Guidance Really Says About Annual Reviews
When to speak to a doctor
Seek prompt assessment for a sudden decline in function, new confusion, or an unexplained fall — in people with several conditions these usually indicate an acute problem rather than gradual progression. Ask for an urgent medication review if you are becoming dizzy or drowsy.
Where this comes from
How this page was put together
Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarised or generalised beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.
Medical disclaimer
This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to a GP, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 999.
Spotted something wrong? Report an error on this page. We correct on the page and say what changed.
