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Unmet Needs in Primary Healthcare: A Systematic Review of 1,078 Interviews on Consumer Experiences Managing Complex Chronic Conditions
Conference poster   Open access

Unmet Needs in Primary Healthcare: A Systematic Review of 1,078 Interviews on Consumer Experiences Managing Complex Chronic Conditions

Shauna Fjaagesund, Florin Oprescu, Evan Jones, Gary Campbell, Wayne Graham, Xiang-Yu (Janet) Hou, Gavin Beccaria, Marion Gray, Stefan Konigorski and Nick Ralph
UniSC Research Conference , 2025 (Sunshine Coast, Australia, 27-Oct-2025–31-Oct-2025)
2025
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Unmet Needs in Primary Healthcare Consumer Perspectives Fjaagesund S7.68 MBDownloadView
Poster Open Access CC BY-ND V4.0
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Commendation Digital Research Poster Higher Degree Research457.19 kBDownloadView
Supplementary Material Award Open Access CC BY V4.0

Abstract

Health services and systems General practice Multimorbidity Rural and remote area health Disability and functional capacity Preventive medicine Urgent and critical care, and emergency medicine primary healthcare general practice integrated care individualised healthcare people-centred care multimorbidity chronic disease management care fragmentation care coordination meta synthesis patient experiences systematic literature review
Background: The increasing prevalence of health consumers with more than two chronic diseases, also defined as multimorbidity, poses significant challenges to primary healthcare (PHC) systems globally. This review aimed to better understand the lived experiences of consumers with multimorbidity seeking and using PHC services. Methods: This PRISMA-guided systematic review and qualitative meta-synthesis explored the documented lived experiences of 1,078 consumers navigating PHC for the management of multimorbidity. A total of 41 studies from 12 countries were included, focusing on general practitioner (GP) led or team-based care models as the care access point. PROSPERO #CRD42024605945 Results: Thematic analysis of data identified three key domains influencing consumer experiences: personal factors, consumer-healthcare provider relationships, and system factors. Personal factors such as health literacy, financial capacity, and psychosocial needs were found to significantly affect consumers’ ability to engage in self-care and access services. Strong, enduring relationships with providers, particularly GPs and nurses, were linked to positive experiences, highlighting the importance of combining individualised approaches which support care continuity. Fragmented care, poor coordination, and inconsistent service quality often led to unmet needs and consumer dissatisfaction. Consumers living in low-resource and rural settings, as well as those with comorbid mental health conditions, were more likely to report negative experiences. Conclusions: The concept of individualised care, defined by consumers with multimorbidity, differed from that of providers. Positive care experiences were linked to (i) tailored provider processes, (ii) person-centred relationships, and (iii) holistic approaches to concurrently treat physical, mental and psychosocial issues. This conceptual framework of what individualised primary healthcare means for consumers with multimorbidity can support actionable insights for policy and practice improvement, and future research.

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