Kay Connelly

Patients with Discordant Chronic Comorbidities (DCCs) either are experiencing multiple conditions that are not related in their treatment plans and management, or are dealing with the simultaneous presence of two or more chronic illnesses with opposing treatment instructions. These conditions can make it difficult for patients and health-care providers to prioritize and manage the treatment of each individual disease. Some difficulties that arise from having DCCs include medication conflicts, social and familial dependencies, seeing multiple health care providers, and managing multiple treatments simultaneously. This paper highlights barriers faced by patients with type 2 diabetes and either depression or arthritis, describes a design process, and presents a design of a digital tool to support patients with DCCs in managing their health. The design ideas presented in this work were influenced by the health care management needs, barriers and opportunities suggested by patients with type 2 diabetes and DCCs.