Self-management program versus usual care for community-dwelling older adults with multimorbidity: A pragmatic randomized controlled trial in Ontario, Canada.
Kathryn A FisherMaureen Markle-ReidJenny PloegAmy BartholomewLauren E GriffithAmiram GafniLehana ThabaneMarie-Lee YousPublished in: Journal of comorbidity (2020)
We evaluated a 6-month, self-management intervention for older adults with multimorbidity. While the intervention was cost neutral in comparison to usual care, it was not found to improve the PCS from SF-12 or secondary health outcomes. Recruitment and retention challenges were significant obstacles limiting our ability to assess intervention effectiveness. Yet, the intervention was grounded in internationally-endorsed recommendations and implemented in a practice setting (home care) viewed as a key upstream resource fostering independence in older adults. These features collectively support the identification of ways to recruit/retain older adults and test alternative implementation strategies for interventions that are based on sound principles of multimorbidity management.