Help the NIHR tackle multimorbidity

The National Institute of Health and Research (NIHR) are focussing on multiple long term conditions/multimorbidity in their Health Technology Assessment (HTA) initiative. This is a partnership with Clinical Research Network (CRN) Specialties to identify and prioritise Population Intervention Control Outcomes (PICOs) for consideration by the NIHR HTA prioritisation committee.    

Multiple long term conditions/multimorbidity is a priority area for the NIHR, who are now inviting colleagues to suggest potential HTA ‘ready’ interventions relating to multi-morbidity in the following areas:

• MLTC/M prevention: e.g. Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is implicated in the pathogenesis of a range of morbidities and is more common in socioeconomically disadvantaged groups. Optimising approaches for identification, risk stratification and management of individuals with/at risk of developing MetS is vital.
• MLTC/M Treatment: new anti-diabetic therapies (SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP1 agonists) also offer benefits in renal and CVD patients as demonstrated in recent trials. Further research is needed to guide treatment in these groups.  Support for weight loss and healthier lifestyles has proven value in prediabetes and diabetes, and could be extended to other higher risk groups
• MLTC/M Models of care: fragmentation of care is a challenge in terms of optimising outcomes and patient experience.

An intervention is ‘HTA ready’ when:

• There is a reasonable chance that it will be effective
• It has already been tested in a typical NHS or social care setting
• There is a reasonable chance it will be used across the NHS or Social care if shown to be effective.
• HTA evaluation may also be appropriate if the intervention is already widely used in the NHS or Social care, but evidence of benefits and harms is lacking.

The NIHR would like to encourage colleagues to think beyond individual specialties when responding.

Please complete the form with your suggestions and return it to amanda.baladi@nihr.ac.uk by Friday 18 June 2021.

A cross Cluster Group will review applications to identify up to 10 potential research questions for discussion with the HTA.