Stine Jorstad Bugge

What is the title of your thesis?

Developing and evaluating a multidisciplinary team intervention for diabetes and complex multimorbidity: Feasibility and epidemiological perspectives.

At which department and/or research unit did you complete your PhD?

Department of Clinical Research, Research Unit for Steno Diabetes Center Odense.

Who was your principal supervisor?

Clinical Associate Professor Daniel Pilsgaard Henriksen.

What question did you aim to answer with your thesis?

How can we reduce the treatment burden for patients with diabetes and multimorbidity through interdisciplinary collaboration, and who are these patients in Denmark?

What did you find?

I found that, in practice, it is possible to bring together specialists from different hospital departments and general practice for joint multidisciplinary team meetings (MDTs). These meetings can successfully be used to review complex medication regimens and develop coordinated treatment plans.

In addition, my mapping showed that cardiovascular disease often develops less than a year after a diabetes diagnosis.

Finally, I found that the prevalence of complex multimorbidity (diabetes combined with heart, lung and kidney diseases) varies geographically across Denmark.

How did you do it?

The project consisted of three parts. First, we used a co-creation process in which doctors, patient representatives and researchers worked together to develop the multidisciplinary team meeting (MDT).

We then tested the model in practice at a busy hospital to see whether it was feasible in everyday clinical practice.

Finally, I analysed data from Danish health and population registers to map the patients’ disease trajectories and their geographical distribution across Denmark.

How can your research be applied (in the clinic, society, etc.)?

In clinical practice, the research offers a concrete way to break down the silos within the healthcare system. This could reduce the considerable treatment burden on patients, as they would no longer have to act as messengers between different doctors.

At a societal level, mapping disease trajectories and geographical patterns provides important knowledge for decision-makers. They can now see exactly where in Denmark the clinical need is greatest and target resources at the crucial window immediately after a diabetes diagnosis, when the risk of developing cardiovascular disease is highest.