“Multimorbidity” as the manifestation of network disturbances. From nosology to the Meikirch model

The explanations of “multimorbidity” as manifestation of network disturbances by Joachim Sturmberg and his coworkers give a very interesting and comprehensive description of “multimorbidity” from the perspective of the whole chain of mechanisms that may be involved, ie, from the genome up to the biological level and from the human scale to the level of individuals, environment, and society. It becomes evident that in “multimorbidity” very large ramifications of interacting phenomena occur in different fields and relate with each other in a complex manner. This leads to a highly individualized picture characterizing in detail each person's ownhealth or disease even beyond its physical aspects. In viewof the complexity of the clinical picture in patients with “multimorbidity” it is certainly justified to approach each case with a systems‐based method. The question remains, however, whether or not it is needed and possible to develop the whole diagnostic picture frommolecular genetics to the person and its surroundings in each case. This commentary has the purpose to explore the possibility to analyze patients in a more focused manner by raising the following question: Is it possible to do the best for the patients, when applying a recently described model of health and disease, the Meikirch model? Can it identify the factors that are predominant in rendering a patient diseased, and can it help the patient to evolve further and to emerge into a better state of health? This method also gives a single picture instead of a nosological analysis of many diagnoses. For this purpose, the Meikirch model must be theoretically convincing and applicable in the practice of the care for patients with multiple diseases. This text has the purpose to describe the model, to explain its application to “multimorbidity,” and to compare it with the network model described by Sturmberg et al.