Using a Co-Construction Participatory Modeling Approach to Understand the Complexity in Collaboratively Managing Knowledge for Multi-Morbid Chronic Disease Patients on Advance Care Plan

Abstract

Across the globe, the healthcare sector is experiencing transformations (cultural, social, digital and economic). This is due to the age and varying patient needs that are driving a shift in the healthcare landscape. At the same time, chronic diseases, social determinants and resource limitations continue to add pressure. Healthcare has thus shifted from paternalistic mode of care to patient centered care (PCC). The growing multiple divergent medical cases denote a need to collaboratively understand clinical issues and effectively determine the best course of action. With PCC, a patient is recognized as a unique human being before forming a diagnosis. This implies that there is a need for multifaceted decision-making. In this study, we use a co-construction participatory modeling approach to understand the complexities in collaboratively managing knowledge for multi-morbid chronic patients on Advance Care Plan (ACP). To achieve this, focus group discussions (FGD) with 12 participants (five healthcare professionals, three health managers and three healthcare key decision makers) from Basque Public Health System (Osakidetza), in Spain were involved in identifying the key challenges and developing a systemic thinking model. As a result, three key challenges were identified i.e. 1) culture (citizens are not willing to talk about death, 2) healthcare professionals’ challenge to change attitude and perspectives, and 3) changing the current system towards holistic and a shared care model. From the developed Causal loop diagrams (CLDs), it is noted that perpetuation of fragmented and paternalistic care is likely to get worse without recognition of the ACP as a social need and a crucial part of the clinical practice part change.