Co-designing municipal multimorbidity rehabilitation leveraging health literacy and social networks: Protocol for the CURIA study

Abstract

Background Managing multimorbidity poses significant challenges for individuals, their families, and society due to issues with health information comprehension, communication with healthcare providers, and navigating the healthcare system. These challenges emphasise the critical need to prioritize individual and organisational health literacy. Multimorbidity is associated with a lack of social support for health; however, social networks and community dynamics can enhance health literacy. The “Co-designing municipal rehabilitation” (CURIA) project targets enhancing individual and organisational health literacy, and social networks for individuals with multimorbidity, with the overall aim of addressing health inequity through a collaborative local co-design process involving stakeholders. Methods The CURIA study employs a mixed-method approach that initially explores the health literacy experiences of individuals with multimorbidity participating in rehabilitation programs in selected Danish municipalities and the practices of professionals overseeing these programs. The subsequent co-design process will comprise individuals with multimorbidity, their relatives, municipalities, general practitioners, civil society, and knowledge institutions working together. This iterative and collaborative process involves tailoring and aligning health literacy needs with responsiveness within the context of local healthcare systems and developing supportive social networks. Discussion Given the increasing burden of multimorbidity, there is an urgent need to develop evidence-based practice for multimorbidity rehabilitation practices, developed in collaboration with municipalities and civil society. Emphasising self-care support for individuals, managing complex rehabilitation needs, and involving individuals in intervention prioritisation and customisation are crucial aspects addressed by CURIA to enhance health literacy and align municipal rehabilitation with identified needs.