PhD defence K.D. (Kirti) Doekhie

In the past decades, the number of elderly patients with multimorbidity (e.g. two or more chronic conditions) has rapidly increased and will increase further in the upcoming years. In many western European countries, health care policy focuses on the trends of decentralisation of care, ageing in place and stimulating patients to take on more responsibility over their health situation. This had led to more emphasis on organizing care closer to a patient’s home (i.e. preferably within a patient’s social network), more patient involvement and more self-management. Because of their multimorbidity, these elderly patients receive care and support from primary care teams consisting of multiple professionals from different disciplinary backgrounds and organisations and often also an informal caregiver. Many elderly patients with multimorbidity are also supported by individuals in their broader social network, for example friends or neighbours. In this care and support context, elderly patients with multimorbidity, their informal caregiver and the care professionals involved share mutual relationships and are dependent on each other’s roles. However, research has shown that in these type of interactions, individuals are not always familiar with each other, have different perceptions on each other’s roles and different expectations about what is best for the elderly patient. This can cause challenges such as lack of trust and poor communication, which ultimately affect the caregiving process. This thesis aims to provide more insight into primary care teams and the relationship between elderly patients with multimorbidity, their informal caregiver and primary care professionals and the effect of these interactions on patient involvement and self-management. The thesis consists of three parts in which the concept of primary care teams and the mutual relationships between elderly patients, informal caregivers and care professionals are explored.

Due to corona, the PhD defences do not take place publicly in the usual way in the Senate Hall or in the Professor Andries Querido Room. The candidates will defend their dissertation either in a small group or online.