Introduction Virtual Communities of Practice (VCoP) offer information and exchange possibilities for people with chronic diseases. This could be especially valuable for self-management in patients with multimorbidity. The first phase of this project is based on building a Patient Journey Map through a co-creation process with professionals and patients.

Methods We employed a tailored experiential design approach to co-design the VCoP with patients and professionals. Inclusion criteria for patients was to have ≥2 chronic diseases and aged 30–60. Fourteen patients were recruited. Participation consisted of virtual meetings with semi-directed questions that allowed us to collect the necessary information to know the needs of these types of patients and design a Patient Journey Map. Subsequently, they were able to test the pilot of the platform with specific content designed.

Results of co-creation process Patients and professionals participated addressing barriers and needs. They built the trajectory of care and designed a Patient Journey Map so their needs could be addressed by the vCoP. The testimonies of patients and professionals were very different:

Professionals identified 3 very well-defined phases (Pre-diagnosis and diagnosis, after diagnosis and follow-up). These phases were sequential and did not vary from one individual to another.

Patients identified several areas of care, where the deficiencies of the health system and the need for respect and empathy starred in his journey map. They did not clearly identify phases on the trajectory, but rather described a circular map where feelings and thoughts were common at various stages.

Discussion and Conclusion A person-centered co-design process of a vCoP may facilitate the empowerment of multimorbid patients. e-EMPODERAT project aims to improve the patients‘ understanding of their chronic diseases and enhance self-care quality.