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The following is a summary of “How do people with multimorbidity prioritise healthcare when faced with tighter financial constraints? A national survey with a choice experiment component,” published in the February 2025 issue of BMC Primary Care by Larkin et al.
People with multimorbidity face higher out-of-pocket costs and risk non-adherence to treatment due to financial strain.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to examine how people with multimorbidity prioritize healthcare services under budget constraints.
They conducted a national cross-sectional online survey with a choice experiment. They recruited adults aged ≥40 years with ≥1 chronic condition in Ireland (Dec 2021–Mar 2022). The survey covered cost-related non-adherence, financial burden, and healthcare prioritization under a 25% budget reduction.
The results showed that 64.9% (n=624) of 962 participants had multimorbidity. Cost-related non-adherence was reported by 34.5% (n=332), including missed appointments or medications. Under a 25% budget cut, spending on ‘other healthcare’ dropped by 50.2%, while medicine spending fell by 24.8%. Participants prioritized certain conditions, reducing top-priority condition spending by 71% less than expected and least-prioritized by 60% more. Independence, symptom control, and survival were the top factors (median=5/5).
Investigators prioritized certain conditions and medicines over other healthcare aspects under financial constraints. They suggested reducing payment barriers and discussing costs in care conversations.
Source: bmcprimcare.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12875-025-02738-9
