Advancing the Science of Multiple Chronic Conditions in Older Adults

There is increasing recognition that the most common “chronic condition” in older adults is multiple chronic conditions (MCCs). Yet, due to the dominance of a disease-specific approach to clinical care and research, there is a lack of evidence and an urgent need for more research to guide clinical practice and inform shared clinical decision-making in older adults with MCCs. We propose a new American Geriatrics Society (AGS) Advancing the Science of Multiple Chronic Conditions (MCCs) in Older Adults R13 conference series that leverages the NIA-funded Health Care Systems Research Network (HCSRN)-Older Americans Independence Centers (OAICs) AGING (Advancing Geriatrics Infrastructure and Network Growth) Initiative (R33AG057806) expertise, and furthers the long-running and successful AGS NIA U13/R13 “Bench-to-Bedside” (B2B) conference series (offered since 2004 with themes including frailty, inflammation/nutrition, geriatric syndromes, common co-morbid pairings, and resilience). The proposed R13 is a logical extension of the ongoing AGS/AGING LEARNING Collaborative, through which we have developed an innovative curriculum to educate the next generation of MCCs researchers (R25AG071488). The mission of this conference grant is to deepen research efforts relating to the science of MCCs in older adults, with the potential to greatly improve the health and healthcare of the growing population of older people living with MCCs. As the pool of researchers focused on MCCs in older adults has increased, a conference series focused on cutting-edge research directly relevant to MCCs in older adults, that will facilitate and enhance collaborative, interdisciplinary research endeavors is critical. The proposed conference series will focus on areas such as explanatory and pragmatic clinical trials related to MCCs prevention and management, mechanistic research, and clinical practice improvement across clinical settings. Under this R13, we will integrate the voices of patients and care partners into our scientific conference planning activities. We propose three scientific conferences over the course of the R13. The theme of each conference will vary. The theme of our first conference will be “The Intersection of MCCs and AD/ADRD.” The theme of our second conference will be “Sex as a Biological Variable and MCCs Research.” The theme of our third conference will be “Preventing MCCs Along the Life Course.” The educational goals of each conference will focus around: (1) content knowledge; (2) addressing methodologic research challenges; (3) career development (e.g., manuscript development and publication; funding strategies and grantsmanship); and (4) networking. Each conference will provide a unique and unparalleled opportunity to advance cutting-edge research relating to MCCs in older adults, and to advance the careers of promising junior investigators.