title: [Approaches of general practitioners and patients to multimorbidity. Qualitative study].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  For general practioners (GP) the treatment of patients suffering from multimorbidity is an everyday challenge. For these patients guidelines which each focus on a specific chronic disease cannot be applied comprehensively and equally; therefore, it is necessary to prioritize.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Given this situation the study aimed at analyzing how GPs and patients deal with this challenge and what their priorities are.
  
  
  METHODS
  Narrative interviews were conducted with 9 GPs and 19 of their multimorbid patients. The data were analyzed by means of content analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The majority of interviewed patients felt well or very well cared for by their GPs; however, GPs and multimorbid patients often had relatively different priorities. Whereas GPs mostly focused on the management of diseases that could lead to life-threatening situations, patients put an emphasis on maintaining autonomy and a social life.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study suggest that there is room for development in the way GPs and multimorbid patients communicate with each other, particularly as far as shared priority setting is concerned.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Allgemeinmedizin, Universitätsmedizin Rostock, Postfach 100888, 18055, Rostock, Deutschland, christin.loeffler@med.uni-rostock.de.
authors.forename: Christin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Löffler
authors.forename: Attila
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Altiner
authors.forename: Waldemar
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Streich
authors.forename: Carl-Otto
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Stolzenbach
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fuchs
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Drewelow
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hornung
authors.forename: Gregor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Feldmeier
authors.forename: Hendrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: van den Bussche
authors.forename: Hanna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kaduszkiewicz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D058006:General Practice / Q000458:organization & administration*; D058005:General Practitioners / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000523:psychology; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D033262:Narration; D010347:Patient Care Planning / Q000458:organization & administration; D010358:Patient Participation / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D055815:Young Adult