Increasing primary care comorbidity: a conceptual research and practice framework.

PURPOSE: To present a "contrasting perspectives" conceptual framework reflecting the typically strained experiences of many comorbid adults now interacting with primary care clinicians across the world.
BACKGROUND: More comorbidity-related needs are presented to primary care clinicians during typically shorter office-based health care encounters. The overall perceptual differences between many comorbid consumers and health care clinicians and systems in many countries are likely to worsen.
CONCLUSIONS: Conceptual implications are discussed for primary care researchers testing interventions and attempting to influence the outcomes of increasingly comorbid primary care adults. Implications for Nursing Research and Practice: Three strategies are offered for researchers and clinicians considering how to include elements of comorbidity into their prospective primary care study interventions and care delivery processes.