Health systems face multimorbidity as the leading cause of the burden of disease and demand for healthcare services. Although non-communicable diseases are well known, and countries in Latin America have implemented strategies to its approach, tackling multimorbidity is still a challenge and an emerging topic. In response to this, Centro de Innovación en Salud ANCORA UC, in association with Servicio de Salud Metropolitano Sur Oriente and the National Health Fund, implemented a pilot study a Multimorbidity Patient-Centered Care Model in the health network. The objective was to evaluate the health care services utilization and mortality. The authors performed a cohort study with adults with non-communicable diseases, stratified by ACG® System. Analysis used logistic regression, adjusted by confounding variables. The intervened group had a significantly lower incidence of hospital admissions, length of stay, number of consultancies to hospital emergency, and number of consultancies to primary care emergency than the control group. Further, it was associated with significantly less mortality (OR 0.54; 95% CI 0.47 -0.63). Barriers and facilitators proper from a complex intervention were approached. The model showed positive results in mortality and health services utilization. A description is provided to contribute to this emerging topic and facilitate its reproducibility.

Background Complex health interventions involve deep organizational, structural, and cultural changes that challenge health teams and decision-makers. The explosion of chronic diseases has made the multimorbidity approach a global priority. The Centro de Innovación en Salud ANCORA UC implemented a Multimorbidity Patient-Centered Care Model in the Chilean public health system. Objective This study aims to evaluate the progress of the implementation of the Multimorbidity Patient-Centered Care Model in seven primary care centers through key performance indicators. Methods a set of indicators was designed to evaluate change management, operations, installation of new roles, and services and activities of the intervention strategy of the model. Key performance indicators were identified to monitor the implementation progress on minimal components for the model’s sustainability. Each item was assigned against an expected minimum score of 67% of progress from the overall score. They were monitored twice in seven primary health centers in 2019 and 2020, which intervened 22,642 patients with the intervention. Results The results showed that six of the seven primary care centers reached the minimum implementation threshold. The main advances were in operational conditions, and those with minor progress in implementation were the clinical services. Population size, organization, coordination of the health care teams, additional training, and decision-makers support were key factors that determined the degree of progress in a complex intervention. Conclusion It was possible to measure the progression of the implementation of a complex intervention through key performance indicators delivering relevant information for decision-makers that pursue a successful and faithful implementation. This study provides a valuable tool for the national scale-up of a similar model started in Chile by the Ministry of Health and other countries.

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