Creating optimized emergency care for patients with complex multimorbidity

Ambulance medic with patient in ambulance

Within emergency care, the proportion of patients with complex multimorbidity is growing. Emergency care focuses on survival, but this can lead to unintentional side-effects. In addition to the focus on life-saving interventions, emergency care must be tailored to the specific and context-related care needs of patients with complex multimorbidity.

Objective

Tailoring emergency care to the needs and experiences of patients (and their families) with complex multimorbidity to minimize or prevent unintentional side-effects from emergency care, without compromising on the principles of survival.

Results

  • Insight into the nature and impact of unintentional side-effects of emergency care from the perspective of patient and their relatives and the perceived challenges and barriers of their healthcare professionals.
  • A sustainable scientific and knowledge infrastructure around emergency care for patients with complex multimorbidity where practice, education and science will collaborate closely to gain maximum impact on this topic.

Duration

01 January 2022 - 31 December 2025

Approach

Qualitative research methods will provide insight into the nature and impact of unintentional side-effects from emergency care in 'vulnerable elderly' and 'mentally disordered patients'. In order to be able to translate the research results into practice and education, we will built a scientific network in which practice, education and research are represented. The perspective of patients (and their relatives) plays a pivotal role in the research itself, as well as the scientific network. 

HU researcher involved in the research

  • Wietske Blom-Ham
    • Professor
    • Research group: Proactive care for older people living at home

Collaboration with knowledge partners

In this project, we collaborate with hospitals, ambulance services and educational institutions in the Utrecht area.

Financing

This project is financed by a ZonMw Fellowship for talented researchers, registration number 10040022110004.

Would you like to collaborate or do you have a question?

Wietske Blom-Ham

  • Professor
  • Research group: Proactive care for older people living at home