Patients above 80 years received less treatment and obtained more limitations in life-sustaining treatments compared with patients aged 65-79, even after adjustment for severity of illness and comorbidity.

BackgroundDespite worldwide interest in reducing re-hospitalization, there is limited knowledge regarding characteristics of patients who chose to decline participation in such efforts and why. The aim is to explore reasons to decline participation in an intervention using motivational interviewing to reduce re-hospitalization through patient activation for persons with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or heart failure.MethodsThis study uses data from 385 patients who were asked about participating in a randomized controlled trial; of these, 232 declined participation. Data on age, gender, and diagnosis were collected for those who agreed to participate and those who declined. Reasons to decline participation were collected for those who were asked to participate but refused. The stated reasons to decline were analyzed using content analysis, and the categories identified were used for the statistical analysis.ResultsThe main reasons for declining participation were having sufficient support (17.5%), no need for support (16%), being too ill (14.6%), and lack of time for illness-related activities (14.2%). A statistically significant negative association between age and willingness to participate was found (odds ratio = − 0.03, 95% confidence interval 0.95–0.99).ConclusionsThose who agreed to participate were younger than non-participants, and non-participants either lacked time for illness-related activities or did not have the energy needed to become involved in the intervention.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02823795. Registered on 1 July 2016.

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to describe challenges in self-management activities among people with multimorbidity during a 4-week post-discharge period.DesignThis is a longitudinal qualitative study using data from a randomised controlled trial (RCT) of motivational interviewing (MI) sessions.SettingThe RCT was conducted at six wards in two hospitals—one university hospital and one general hospital in Stockholm, Sweden, during 2016–2018.ParticipantsSixteen participants from the intervention group, diagnosed with heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and at least one other chronic condition, were purposively selected for this study.InterventionsEach participant had four or five post-discharge MI sessions with a trained social worker during a period of approximately 4 weeks. The sessions were recorded digitally and analysed using content analysis. Altogether, 70 recorded sessions were analysed.ResultsSelf-management after hospital discharge was a dynamic process with several shifting features that evolved gradually over time. Patients with multimorbidity experienced two major challenges with self-management in the first 4 weeks following hospital discharge: ‘Managing a system-centred care’ and ‘Handling the burden of living with multiple illnesses at home post-discharge’.ConclusionsSelf-management for patients with multimorbidity in the first post-discharge period does not equate to a fixed set of tasks, but varies over the post-discharge period. Self-management challenges include not only the burden of the disease itself, but also that of navigating and understanding the healthcare system. Hence, self-management support post-discharge involves both aiding patients with care coordination and meeting their gradually shifting disease-related needs.Trial registration numberNCT02823795.