Letter to the Editor
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2025. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Clin Cases. Jul 6, 2025; 13(19): 102484
Published online Jul 6, 2025. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v13.i19.102484
Innovative approaches to managing chronic multimorbidity: A multidisciplinary perspective
Haewon Byeon
Haewon Byeon, Worker's Care and Digital Health Lab, Department of Future Technology, Korea University of Technology and Education, Cheonan 31253, South Korea
Author contributions: Byeon H contributed to this paper; involved in data interpretation; and writing the article.
Supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education, No. NRF- RS-2023-00237287.
Conflict-of-interest statement: No benefits in any form have been received or will be received from a commercial party related directly or indirectly to the subject of this article.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Haewon Byeon, PhD, Associate Professor, Worker's Care and Digital Health Lab, Department of Future Technology, Korea University of Technology and Education, Cheonan 31253, South Korea. bhwpuma@naver.com
Received: October 21, 2024
Revised: February 13, 2025
Accepted: February 25, 2025
Published online: July 6, 2025
Processing time: 150 Days and 3.3 Hours
Abstract

The rising prevalence of chronic multimorbidity poses substantial challenges to healthcare systems, necessitating the development of innovative management strategies to optimize patient care and system efficiency. The study by Fontalba-Navas et al investigates the implementation of a novel high complexity unit (HCU) specifically designed to improve the management of patients with chronic complex conditions. By adopting a multidisciplinary approach, the HCU aims to provide comprehensive, patient-centered care that enhances health outcomes and alleviates the strain on traditional hospital services. Utilizing a longitudinal analysis of data from the Basic Minimum Data Set, this study compares hospitalization metrics among the HCU, Internal Medicine, and other departments within a regional hospital throughout 2022. The findings reveal that the HCU's integrated care model significantly reduces readmission rates and boosts patient satisfaction compared to conventional care practices. The study highlights the HCU's potential as a replicable model for managing chronic multimorbidity, emphasizing its effectiveness in minimizing unnecessary hospitalizations and enhancing the overall quality of patient care. This innovative approach not only addresses the complexities associated with chronic multimorbid conditions but also offers a sustainable framework for healthcare systems confronting similar challenges.

Keywords: Chronic multimorbidity; High complexity unit; Multidisciplinary approach; Patient-centered care; Integrated care model; Hospitalization metrics

Core Tip: Fontalba-Navas et al's study analyzes a high complexity unit (HCU) designed to tackle chronic multimorbidity through a multidisciplinary, patient-centered approach. The HCU's integrated care model significantly improves health outcomes, reduces readmission rates, and enhances patient satisfaction, as evidenced by longitudinal data from the Basic Minimum Data Set. This innovative framework alleviates the strain on traditional healthcare services by minimizing unnecessary hospitalizations and improving care quality. The HCU serves as a replicable model for healthcare systems facing similar challenges, offering a sustainable strategy for managing the rising prevalence of chronic multimorbidities and optimizing healthcare delivery.