Prevalence of multimorbidity in general practice: a cross-sectional study within the Swiss Sentinel Surveillance System (Sentinella)

Developing and testing a framework for coding general practitioners' free-text diagnoses in electronic medical records - a reliability study for generating training data in natural language processing

BACKGROUND

Diagnoses entered by general practitioners into electronic medical records have great potential for research and practice, but unfortunately, diagnoses are often in uncoded format, making them of little use. Natural language processing (NLP) could assist in coding free-text diagnoses, but NLP models require local training data to unlock their potential. The aim of this study was to develop a framework of research-relevant diagnostic codes, to test the framework using free-text diagnoses from a Swiss primary care database and to generate training data for NLP modelling.

METHODS

The framework of diagnostic codes was developed based on input from local stakeholders and consideration of epidemiological data. After pre-testing, the framework contained 105 diagnostic codes, which were then applied by two raters who independently coded randomly drawn lines of free text (LoFT) from diagnosis lists extracted from the electronic medical records of 3000 patients of 27 general practitioners. Coding frequency and mean occurrence rates (n and %) and inter-rater reliability (IRR) of coding were calculated using Cohen's kappa (Κ).

RESULTS

The sample consisted of 26,980 LoFT and in 56.3% no code could be assigned because it was not a specific diagnosis. The most common diagnostic codes were, 'dorsopathies' (3.9%, a code covering all types of back problems, including non-specific lower back pain, scoliosis, and others) and 'other diseases of the circulatory system' (3.1%). Raters were in almost perfect agreement (Κ ≥ 0.81) for 69 of the 105 diagnostic codes, and 28 codes showed a substantial agreement (K between 0.61 and 0.80). Both high coding frequency and almost perfect agreement were found in 37 codes, including codes that are particularly difficult to identify from components of the electronic medical record, such as musculoskeletal conditions, cancer or tobacco use.

CONCLUSION

The coding framework was characterised by a subset of very frequent and highly reliable diagnostic codes, which will be the most valuable targets for training NLP models for automated disease classification based on free-text diagnoses from Swiss general practice.

The relationship between chronic diseases and the intensity and duration of low back pain

BACKGROUND

Low back pain (LBP) is a worldwide problem that affects numerous people and limits their mobility. Several factors, including chronic diseases, increase the risk of developing LBP. To date, the information available about the relationship between chronic diseases and the intensity and duration of LBP is quite limited.

AIM

The aim of the present study was to address the relationship between chronic diseases and both the intensity and duration of LBP.

DESIGN

This is an observational cross-sectional study.

SETTING

The study was conducted in the community of Saudi Arabia.

POPULATION

2181 adult participants (aged 18 years or more, mean age of 33 and standard deviation [SD] of ±11, 61% females) from Saudi Arabia with either recent or recurring LBP participated in the study.

METHODS

The participants of this study were surveyed, and their demographic information was obtained. They were asked whether they had LBP during the past year, and if they had, they were asked about their LBP in terms of the pain intensity on a scale that runs from 0 to 10, where 0 indicates no pain and 10 indicates extreme pain. Further, the participants were asked how long their pain lasted (in days). They were also inquired whether they had any of the following chronic diseases: diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure, hypotension, arthritis, cardiopulmonary diseases, kidney diseases, and hypothyroidism. Logistic regression was used to analyze the relationships between both of LBP's intensity and duration, and the presence of chronic diseases, while adjusting for the potential effect of age and gender.

RESULTS

A total of 2181 adults with either new onset of or recurrent LBP during the past 12 months participated in the present study. Of these, 356 (16%), who had LBP, suffered from one or more of the said chronic diseases. It was found that having one or more chronic diseases had statistically significant relationship with increased LBP's intensity (P=0.002), as well as prolonged duration (P=0.001). In particular, hypertension, arthritis, and hypothyroidism have statistically significant relationship with increased the intensity of the pain (P<0.05). Only, hypertension and arthritis have statistically significant relationship with increased the duration of pain (P≤0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The presence of chronic diseases was associated with a more intense and longer duration of LBP.

CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT

In view of the results of this study, we expect that those who have chronic diseases will have a longer duration of LBP and more intense pain.

Utilization of Primary Healthcare Services in Patients with Multimorbidity According to Their Risk Level by Adjusted Morbidity Groups: A Cross-Sectional Study in Chamartín District (Madrid)

Patients with multimorbidity have increased and more complex healthcare needs, posing their management a challenge for healthcare systems. This study aimed to describe their primary healthcare utilization and associated factors. A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted in a Spanish basic healthcare area including all patients with chronic conditions, differentiating between having multimorbidity or not. Sociodemographic, functional, clinical and service utilization variables were analyzed, stratifying the multimorbid population by the Adjusted Morbidity Groups (AMG) risk level, sex and age. A total of 6036 patients had multimorbidity, 64.2% being low risk, 28.5% medium risk and 7.3% high risk. Their mean age was 64.1 years and 63.5% were women, having on average 3.5 chronic diseases, and 25.3% were polymedicated. Their mean primary care contacts/year was 14.9 (7.8 with family doctors and 4.4 with nurses). Factors associated with primary care utilization were age (B-coefficient [BC] = 1.15;95% Confidence Interval [CI] = 0.30-2.01), female sex (BC = 1.04; CI = 0.30-1.78), having a caregiver (BC = 8.70; CI = 6.72-10.69), complexity (B-coefficient = 0.46; CI = 0.38-0.55), high-risk (B-coefficient = 2.29; CI = 1.26-3.32), numerous chronic diseases (B-coefficient = 1.20; CI = 0.37-2.04) and polypharmacy (B-coefficient = 5.05; CI = 4.00-6.10). This study provides valuable data on the application of AMG in multimorbid patients, revealing their healthcare utilization and the need for a patient-centered approach by primary care professionals. These results could guide in improving coordination among professionals, optimizing multimorbidity management and reducing costs derived from their extensive healthcare utilization.

Targeted optimum care approach for osteoporotic fragility fractures: tailored strategy based on risk stratification to reduce incidents of falls-an initiative by the Egyptian Academy of bone health based on the FLS national register

Since falling is the third cause of chronic disability, a better understanding of the frequency, severity, and risk factors of falls across diagnostic groups is needed to design and implement customized, effective fall prevention, and management programs for these individuals, particularly those at risk of sustaining a fragility fracture.

OBJECTIVE

(1) To assess the incidence of falls among osteoporotic patients with fragility fractures. (2) To evaluate the potential for stratifying the people at risk of falling in bone health setting aiming to provide targeted optimum care for them.

METHODS

This was a multi-center, cross-sectional, observational study. Both men and postmenopausal women, admitted with an osteoporotic fracture (whether major osteoporosis or hip fracture), were consecutively recruited for this work and managed under Fracture Liaison Service. All the patients were assessed for their Fracture risk (FRAX), falls risk (FRAS), and sarcopenia risk (SARC-F) as well as functional disability (HAQ). Blood tests for bone profile as well as DXA scan were offered to all the patients.

RESULTS

Four hundred five patients (121 males, 284 females) were included in this work. Mean age was 70.1 (SD = 9.2) years. The incidence of falls was 64.9%. The prevalence of falls was high (64.8%) in the patients presenting with major osteoporosis fractures and in those with hip fractures (61.8%). The prevalence of fragility fractures was positively correlated with HAQ score and the SARC-F score (p = 0.01 and 0.021 respectively). Falls risk score was positively correlated with FRAX score of major osteoporotic fractures, HAQ score, and SARC-F score (p = 0.01, 0.013, and 0.003 respectively). Seventy percent of the osteopenia patients who sustained fragility fracture had high falls risk and/or SARC-F score.

CONCLUSION

This study highlighted the importance of falls risk stratification in osteoporotic patients presenting with fragility fractures. Identification of the patients at increased risk of falls should be a component of the standard practice.

Importance of different electronic medical record components for chronic disease identification in a Swiss primary care database: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Primary care databases collect electronic medical records with routine data from primary care patients. The identification of chronic diseases in primary care databases often integrates information from various electronic medical record components (EMR-Cs) used by primary care providers. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of selected chronic conditions using a large Swiss primary care database and to examine the importance of different EMR-Cs for case identification.

METHODS

Cross-sectional study with 120,608 patients of 128 general practitioners in the Swiss FIRE ("Family Medicine Research using Electronic Medical Records") primary care database in 2019. Sufficient criteria on three individual EMR-Cs, namely medication, clinical or laboratory parameters and reasons for encounters, were combined by logical disjunction into definitions of 49 chronic conditions; then prevalence estimates and measures of importance of the individual EMR-Cs for case identification were calculated.

RESULTS

A total of 185,535 cases (i.e. patients with a specific chronic condition) were identified. Prevalence estimates were 27.5% (95% CI: 27.3-27.8%) for hypertension, 13.5% (13.3-13.7%) for dyslipidaemia and 6.6% (6.4-6.7%) for diabetes mellitus. Of all cases, 87.1% (87.0-87.3%) were identified via medication, 22.1% (21.9-22.3%) via clinical or laboratory parameters and 19.3% (19.1-19.5%) via reasons for encounters. The majority (65.4%) of cases were identifiable solely through medication. Of the two other EMR-Cs, clinical or laboratory parameters was most important for identifying cases of chronic kidney disease, anorexia/bulimia nervosa and obesity whereas reasons for encounters was crucial for identifying many low-prevalence diseases as well as cancer, heart disease and osteoarthritis.

CONCLUSIONS

The EMR-C medication was most important for chronic disease identification overall, but identification varied strongly by disease. The analysis of the importance of different EMR-Cs for estimating prevalence revealed strengths and weaknesses of the disease definitions used within the FIRE primary care database. Although prioritising specificity over sensitivity in the EMR-C criteria may have led to underestimation of most prevalences, their sex- and age-specific patterns were consistent with published figures for Swiss general practice.

Social determinants of multimorbidity patterns: A systematic review

Social determinants of multimorbidity are poorly understood in clinical practice. This review aims to characterize the different multimorbidity patterns described in the literature while identifying the social and behavioral determinants that may affect their emergence and subsequent evolution. We searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, Ovid MEDLINE, CINAHL Complete, PsycINFO and Google Scholar. In total, 97 studies were chosen from the 48,044 identified. Cardiometabolic, musculoskeletal, mental, and respiratory patterns were the most prevalent. Cardiometabolic multimorbidity profiles were common among men with low socioeconomic status, while musculoskeletal, mental and complex patterns were found to be more prevalent among women. Alcohol consumption and smoking increased the risk of multimorbidity, especially in men. While the association of multimorbidity with lower socioeconomic status is evident, patterns of mild multimorbidity, mental and respiratory related to middle and high socioeconomic status are also observed. The findings of the present review point to the need for further studies addressing the impact of multimorbidity and its social determinants in population groups where this problem remains invisible (e.g., women, children, adolescents and young adults, ethnic groups, disabled population, older people living alone and/or with few social relations), as well as further work with more heterogeneous samples (i.e., not only focusing on older people) and using more robust methodologies for better classification and subsequent understanding of multimorbidity patterns. Besides, more studies focusing on the social determinants of multimorbidity and its inequalities are urgently needed in low- and middle-income countries, where this problem is currently understudied.

How time consuming are general practitioners' home visits? Insights from a cross-sectional study in Switzerland

BACKGROUND

Worldwide, the number of home visits has been decreasing over past decades. Lack of time and long journeys have been reported to hinder general practitioners (GPs) from conducting home visits. In Switzerland also, home visits have declined. Time constraints in a busy GP practice could be one reason. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyse the time requirements of home visits in Switzerland.

METHODS

A one-year cross-sectional study involving GPs from the Swiss Sentinel Surveillance System (Sentinella) was conducted in 2019. GPs provided basic information on all home visits performed throughout the year and additionally detailed reports of up to 20 consecutive home visits. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were run to identify factors affecting journey and consultation duration.

RESULTS

In total, 95 GPs conducted 8489 home visits in Switzerland, 1139 of which have been characterised in detail. On average, GPs made 3.4 home visits per week. Average journey and consultation duration were 11.8 and 23.9 minutes, respectively. Prolonged consultations were provided by GPs working part-time (25.1 minutes), in group practice (24.9 minutes) or in urban regions (24.7 minutes). Rural environments and short journey to patient's home were both found to lower the odds of performing a long consultation compared to a short consultation (odds ratio [OR] 0.27, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.16-0.44 and OR 0.60, 95% CI 0.46-0.77, respectively). Emergency visits (OR 2.20, 95% CI 1.21-4.01), out-of-hours appointments (OR 3.06, 95% CI 2.36-3.97) and day care involvement (OR 2.78, 95% CI 2.13-3.62) increased the odds of having a long consultation. Finally, patients in their 60s had markedly higher odds of receiving long consultations than patients in their 90s (OR 4.13, 95% CI 2.27-7.62), whereas lack of chronic conditions lowered the odds of a long consultation (OR 0.09, 95% CI 0.00-0.43).

CONCLUSION

GPs perform rather few but long home visits, especially for multimorbid patients. GPs working part-time, in group practice or in urban regions devote more time to home visits.

A GP's clinical reasoning in the context of multimorbidity: beyond the perception of an intuitive approach

INTRODUCTION

GP's clinical reasoning processes in the context of patients suffering from multimorbidity are often a process which remains implicit. Therefore, the goal of this case study analysis is to gain a better understanding of the processes at play in the management of patients suffering from multimorbidity.

METHODS

A case study analysis, using a qualitative thematic analysis was conducted. This case follows a 54-year-old woman who has been under the care of her GP for almost 10 years and suffers from a number of chronic conditions. The clinical reasoning of an experienced GP who can explicitly unfold his processes was chosen for this case analysis.

RESULTS

Four main themes emerged from this case analysis: The different roles that GPs have to manage; the GP's cognitive flexibility and continual adaptation of their clinical reasoning processes, the patient's empowerment, and the challenges related to the collaboration with specialists and healthcare professionals.

CONCLUSION

This could help GPs gain a clearer understanding of their clinical reasoning processes and motivate them to communicate their findings with others during clinical supervision or teaching. Furthermore, this may emphasize the importance of valuing the role of the primary care physician in the management of multimorbid patients.

Association Between Multimorbidity and Rate of Falls: A 3-Year 5-Country Prospective Study in Generally Healthy and Active Community-Dwelling Adults Aged ≥70 Years

OBJECTIVE

To examine the association between the baseline number of chronic diseases and multimorbidity with regard to the incidence of all and injurious falls over 3 years among European community-dwelling older adults.

DESIGN

Observational analysis of DO-HEALTH, a double-blind, randomized controlled trial.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Multicenter trial with 7 European centers: Zurich, Basel, Geneva (Switzerland), Berlin (Germany), Innsbruck (Austria), Toulouse (France), and Coimbra (Portugal), including 2157 community-dwelling adults aged 70 years and older without any major health events in the 5 years prior to enrollment, sufficient mobility, and good cognitive status.

METHODS

The main outcomes were the number of all falls and injurious falls experienced over 3 years. The number of chronic diseases and multimorbidity, defined as the presence of 3 or more chronic diseases at baseline, were assessed with the Self-Administered Comorbidity Questionnaire by Sangha et al.

RESULTS

Among the 2155 participants included in the analyses (mean age: 74.9 years, 62% were women, 52% were physically active more than 3 times a week), 569 (26.4%) had multimorbidity at baseline. Overall, each 1-unit increase in the baseline number of chronic diseases was linearly associated with a 7% increased incidence rate of all falls [adjusted incidence rate ratio (aIRR) 1.07, 95% CI 1.03-1.12, P < .001] and a 6% increased incidence rate of injurious falls (aIRR 1.06, 95% CI 1.02-1.11, P = .003). Baseline multimorbidity was associated with a 21% increased incidence rate of all falls (aIRR 1.21, 95% CI 1.07-1.37, P = .002) and a 17% increased incidence rate of injurious falls (aIRR 1.17, 95% CI 1.03-1.32, P = .02).

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Baseline number of prevalent chronic diseases and multimorbidity in generally healthy and active community-dwelling older adults were associated with increased incidence rates of all and injurious falls over 3 years. These findings support that multimorbidity may need consideration as a risk factor for falls, even in generally healthy and active older adults.

Multimorbidity and statin prescription for primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases: A cross-sectional study in general practice in France

Background

Statins are a first line, evidence-based yet underprescribed treatment for cardiovascular primary prevention. In primary care settings, multimorbidity is a complex situation which makes it difficult to apply prevention guidelines.

Aim

To assess the associations between multimorbidity and prescription of statins in accordance with the 2016 ESC recommendations ("appropriate prescription"), and to identify the factors and conditions associated with these prescriptions.

Design and setting

Cross-sectional prospective study in the French region of Rhône-Alpes among 40 general practitioners and their patients.

Methods

We examined the association between appropriate statin prescription and several patient characteristics, including multimorbidity, using multivariate logistic regression models.

Results

Between August 2017 and February 2019, 327 patients were included in the study. Seventy-four (22.6%) were on statin medication and 199 (60.9%) exhibited multimorbidity, defined as ≥2 diseases. Only 22.5% of eligible patients were prescribed statins for primary prevention. Diabetes was most strongly associated with appropriate statin prescription (aOR 8.10, CI 95: 3.81-17.80). Multimorbidity was not associated with appropriate statin prescription (aOR 1.31, CI 95: 0.54-3.26), except in the presence of diabetes which defined diabetic multimorbidity (aOR 10.46, CI 95: 4.87-23.35). Conversely, non-diabetic multimorbidity was associated with lower odds of being appropriately prescribed a statin (aOR 0.26, CI 95: 0.12-0.56).

Conclusion

Multimorbidity, in itself, does not seem to be a determinant factor for appropriate statin prescription. The latter appears to be determined by a patient's type of multimorbidity, especially the presence or not of diabetes. Differentiating between diabetic and non-diabetic multimorbidity may be a pragmatic way for GPs to improve primary prevention in a patient-centered and shared decision-making approach.

Patterns and Predictors of Multimorbidity in the Azar Cohort

BACKGROUND

The co-existence of chronic diseases (CDs), a condition defined as multimorbidity (MM), is becoming a major public health issue. Therefore, we aimed to determine the patterns and predictors of MM in the Azar Cohort.

METHODS

We evaluated the prevalence of MM in 15,006 (35-70-year old) subjects of the Azar Cohort Study. MM was defined as the co-existence of two or more CDs. Data on the subjects' socioeconomic status, demographics, sleeping habits, and physical activity were collected using questionnaires.

RESULTS

The overall prevalence of MM was 28.1%. The most prevalent CDs, in decreasing order, were obesity, hypertension, depression, and diabetes. Obesity, depression, and diabetes were the most co-occurring CDs. The MM risk increased significantly with age, illiteracy, and in females. Also, the subjects within the lowest tertile of physical activity level (OR=1.89; 95% CI: 1.75-2.05) showed higher MM risk than those with the highest level of physical activity. Findings regarding current smoking status indicated that being an ex-smoker or smoker of other types of tobacco significantly increased the risk of MM.

CONCLUSION

The reduction of MM is possible by promoting public health from an early age among people of various socioeconomic conditions. It is vital to offer the necessary health support to the aging population of Iran.

Epidemiology and predictors of multimorbidity in Kharameh cohort study: A population-based cross-sectional study in southern Iran

Background and Aim

Multimorbidity is one of the problems and concerns of public health. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and identify the risk factors associated with multimorbidity based on the data of the Kherameh cohort study.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was performed on 10,663 individuals aged 40-70 years in the south of Iran in 2015 to 2017. Demographic and behavioral characteristics were investigated. Multimorbidity was defined as the coexistence of two or more of two chronic diseases in a person. In this study, the prevalence of multimorbidity was calculated. Logistic regression was used to identify the predictors of multimorbidity.

Results

The prevalence of multimorbidity was 24.4%. The age-standardized prevalence rate was 18.01% in males and 29.6% in females. The most common underlying diseases were gastroesophageal reflux disease with hypertension (33.5%). Multiple logistic regression results showed that the age of 45-55 years (adjusted odds ratio [OR_adj]] = 1.22, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.07-1.38), age of over 55 years (OR_adj = 1.21, 95% CI, 1.06-1.37), obesity (OR_adj = 3.65, 95% CI, 2.55-5.24), and overweight (OR_adj = 2.92, 95% CI, 2.05-4.14) were the risk factors of multimorbidity. Also, subjects with high socioeconomic status (OR_adj = 1.27, 95% CI, 1.1-1.45) and very high level of socioeconomic status (OR_adj = 1.53, 95% CI, 1.31-1.79) had a higher chance of having multimorbidity. The high level of education, alcohol consumption, having job, and high physical activity had a protective role against it.

Conclusion

The prevalence of multimorbidity was relatively high in the study area. According to the results of our study, age, obesity, and overweight had an important effect on multimorbidity. Therefore, determining interventional strategies for weight loss and control and treatment of chronic diseases, especially in the elderly, is very useful.

Patterns of multimorbidity in community health centres in Shanghai, China: a retrospective, cross-sectional study based on outpatient data from 2014 to 2018

OBJECTIVE

Caring for patients with multimorbidity is an important part of primary care. It has become increasingly relevant that understanding the spectrum of multimorbidity will help general practitioners (GPs) acquire working knowledge and improve management skills. However, there was little research on characteristics of multimorbidity in primary care in China. This study aimed to identify the spectrum of frequency, proportion and ranking of multimorbidity patterns in adult patients seen at community health centres (CHCs) in Shanghai, China.

DESIGN AND SETTING

This was an observational, retrospective, cross-sectional study analysis of outpatient data of 244 CHCs in Shanghai, China.

PARTICIPANTS

Adult patients with chronic disease who visited Shanghai CHCs during 2014-2018 were selected from Shanghai CHC electronic medical records database using the International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision codes matched to the Second Version of International Classification of Primary Care codes.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES

A number of adult patients with chronic disease were counted. Then frequency, proportion and rank of disease patterns of multimorbidity were analysed.

RESULTS

Analysis of 301 651 158 electronic health records of 5 909 280 adult patients (54.2% females) found the multimorbidity proportion to be 81.2%. The prevalence of multimorbidity increased with age, which climbed from 43.7% among those aged 19-34 to 94.9% among those more than 80 years of age. The proportion of multimorbidity was higher in females (83.2%) than males (79.7%). Vascular and metabolic diseases were the most frequent diseases for patients over 45 years old.

CONCLUSIONS

Multimorbidity has brought huge challenges to primary care practice in Shanghai. The Shanghai government should strengthen its support for the multitargeted prevention of chronic diseases and the improvement of GPs' management capabilities.

Quality and variation of care for chronic kidney disease in Swiss general practice: A retrospective database study

Background

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a common condition in general practice. Data about quality and physician-level variation of CKD care provided by general practitioners is scarce. In this study, we evaluated determinants and variation of achievement of 14 quality indicators for CKD care using electronic medical records data from Swiss general practice during 2013–2019.

Methods

We defined two patient cohorts from 483 general practitioners, one to address renal function assessment in patients with predisposing conditions (n = 47,201, median age 68 years, 48.7% female) and one to address care of patients with laboratory-confirmed CKD (n = 14,654, median age 80 years, 57.5% female). We investigated quality indicator achievement with mixed-effect logistic regression and expressed physician-level variation as intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and range odds ratios (rORs).

Results

We observed the highest quality indicator achievement rate for withholding non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug prescription in patients with CKD staged G2–3b within 12 months of follow-up (82.6%), the lowest for albuminuria assessment within 18 months of follow-up (18.1%). Highest physician-level variation was found for renal function assessment during 18 months of follow-up in patients with predisposing conditions (diabetes: ICC 0.31, rOR 26.5; cardiovascular disease: ICC 0.28, rOR 17.4; hypertension: ICC 0.24, rOR 17.2).

Conclusion

This study suggests potentially unwarranted variation in general practice concerning RF assessment in patients affected by conditions predisposing for CKD. We further identified potential gaps in quality of CKD monitoring as well as lower quality of CKD care for female patients and patients not affected by comorbidities.

Multimorbidity

Multimorbidity (two or more coexisting conditions in an individual) is a growing global challenge with substantial effects on individuals, carers and society. Multimorbidity occurs a decade earlier in socioeconomically deprived communities and is associated with premature death, poorer function and quality of life and increased health-care utilization. Mechanisms underlying the development of multimorbidity are complex, interrelated and multilevel, but are related to ageing and underlying biological mechanisms and broader determinants of health such as socioeconomic deprivation. Little is known about prevention of multimorbidity, but focusing on psychosocial and behavioural factors, particularly population level interventions and structural changes, is likely to be beneficial. Most clinical practice guidelines and health-care training and delivery focus on single diseases, leading to care that is sometimes inadequate and potentially harmful. Multimorbidity requires person-centred care, prioritizing what matters most to the individual and the individual's carers, ensuring care that is effectively coordinated and minimally disruptive, and aligns with the patient's values. Interventions are likely to be complex and multifaceted. Although an increasing number of studies have examined multimorbidity interventions, there is still limited evidence to support any approach. Greater investment in multimorbidity research and training along with reconfiguration of health care supporting the management of multimorbidity is urgently needed.

The Lifestyle Profile of Individuals with Cardiovascular and Endocrine Diseases in Cyprus: A Hierarchical, Classification Analysis

The study aims to explore the lifestyle profile of adult individuals with cardiovascular and endocrine diseases in Cyprus. Age and sex-specific analyses were applied. A representative sample of the general adult population was recruited during 2018–2019 using stratified sampling among the five government-controlled municipalities of the Republic of Cyprus. Data on Mediterranean diet adherence, quality of sleep, smoking status, physical activity, Body Mass Index, and the presence of cardiovascular and endocrine diseases were collected using a validated questionnaire. Diseases were classified according to the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). A total of 1140 men and women over 18 years old (range: 18–94) participated in the study. The prevalence of cardiovascular and endocrine diseases among the adult general population of Cyprus was 24.8% and 17.2%, respectively, with a higher prevalence of cardiovascular diseases in men, and a higher prevalence of endocrine diseases in women. Among individuals with cardiovascular disease, 23.3% were aged between 18–44 years old, while the corresponding percentage among endocrine disease individuals was 48%. The prevalence of smoking, physical activity, a low adherence to the Mediterranean diet, poor quality of sleep and obesity among the study population was 35.5%, 48.0%, 32.9%, 39.0% and 13.6%, respectively. Individuals with cardiovascular and endocrine diseases were characterized by poor quality of sleep, inadequate physical activity, and a higher BMI. This is the first study in Cyprus exploring the profile of individuals with cardiovascular and endocrine diseases in Cyprus. Health promotion and educational programs focusing on the importance of sleep quality, healthier dietary habits, physical activity, and lower BMIs among people with cardiovascular and endocrine diseases should be developed.

Different definitions of multimorbidity and their effect on prevalence rates: a retrospective study in German general practices

BACKGROUND

Multimorbidity is common among general practice patients and increases a general practitioner's (GP's) workload. But the extent of multimorbidity may depend on its definition and whether a time delimiter is included in the definition or not.

AIMS

The aims of the study were (1) to compare practice prevalence rates yielded by different models of multimorbidity, (2) to determine how a time delimiter influences the prevalence rates and (3) to assess the effects of multimorbidity on the number of direct and indirect patient contacts as an indicator of doctors' workload.

METHODS

This retrospective observational study used electronic medical records from 142 German general practices, covering 13 years from 1994 to 2007. The four models of multimorbidity ranged from a simple definition, requiring only two diseases, to an advanced definition requiring at least three chronic conditions. We also included a time delimiter for the definition of multimorbidity. Descriptive statistics, such as means and correlation coefficients, were applied.

FINDINGS

The annual percentage of multimorbid primary care patients ranged between 84% (simple model) and 16% (advanced model) and between 74% and 13% if a time delimiter was included. Multimorbid patients had about twice as many contacts annually than the remainder. The number of contacts were different for each model, but the ratio remained similar. The number of contacts correlated moderately with patient age (r = 0.35). The correlation between age and multimorbidity increased from model to model up to 0.28 while the correlations between contacts and multimorbidity varied around 0.2 in all four models.

CONCLUSION

Multimorbidity seems to be less prevalent in primary care practices than usually estimated if advanced definitions of multimorbidity and a temporal delimiter are applied. Although multimorbidity increases in any model a doctor's workload, it is especially the older person with multiple chronic diseases who is a challenge for the GP.

Epidemiology of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Comorbidities in Lithuanian National Database: A Cluster Analysis

Various comorbidities and multimorbidity frequently occur in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), leading to the overload of health care systems and increased mortality. We aimed to assess the impact of COPD on the probability and clustering of comorbidities. The cross-sectional analysis of the nationwide Lithuanian database was performed based on the entries of the codes of chronic diseases. COPD was defined on the code J44.8 entry and six-month consumption of bronchodilators. Descriptive statistics and odds ratios (ORs) for associations and agglomerative hierarchical clustering were carried out. 321,297 patients aged 40-79 years were included; 4834 of them had COPD. A significantly higher prevalence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), lung cancer, kidney diseases, and the association of COPD with six-fold higher odds of lung cancer (OR 6.66; p < 0.0001), a two-fold of heart failure (OR 2.61; p < 0.0001), and CVD (OR 1.83; p < 0.0001) was found. Six clusters in COPD males and five in females were pointed out, in patients without COPD-five and four clusters accordingly. The most prevalent cardiovascular cluster had no significant difference according to sex or COPD presence, but a different linkage of dyslipidemia was found. The study raises the need to elaborate adjusted multimorbidity case management and screening tools enabling better outcomes.

Comorbidities Associated with Worse Outcomes Among Inpatients Admitted for Acute Gastrointestinal Bleeding

BACKGROUND

Multimorbidity increases healthcare resource utilization. Little is known on specific comorbidity combinations.

AIMS

To identify comorbidities associated with increased resource utilization among inpatients admitted for gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB).

METHODS

This retrospective cross-sectional study, 1/2010-5/2018 at the University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland, analyzed electronic health records of patients with upper (UGIB) and lower (LGIB) GIB, focusing on length of stay (LOS) and 30-day readmissions for resource use and clinical outcomes, investigated by multivariable regression adjusted for antithrombotics.

RESULTS

Of 1101 patients, 791 had UGIB and 310 LGIB, most often melena and bleeding diverticula, respectively. In UGIB, thromboembolic events showed a trend toward 27% increased LOS (1.27; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.00-1.61), antithrombotics independently associated with 46% increased LOS (1.46; 95% CI 1.32-1.62). Cancer (odds ratio [OR] 2.86; 95% CI 1.68-4.88) independently associated with 30-day readmissions, anemia showed a trend (OR 1.68; 95% CI 1.00-2.84). In LGIB, none of the investigated comorbidities associated with increased LOS, but antithrombotics independently associated with 25% increased LOS (1.25; 95% CI 1.07-1.46). Atrial fibrillation/flutter (OR 2.69; 95% CI 1.06-6.82) and cancer (OR 4.76; 95% CI 1.40-16.20) associated strongly with 30-day readmissions.

CONCLUSIONS

In both groups, cancer associated with 30-day readmissions, antithrombotics with increased LOS. Thromboembolic events and anemia showed clinically important trends in UGIB. Atrial fibrillation/flutter associated with 30-day readmissions in LGIB. Prospective studies are needed to investigate these complex multimorbid populations and establish appropriate guidelines.

Multimorbidity and clinical reasoning through the eyes of GPs: a qualitative study

Objectives

Despite the high prevalence of patients suffering from multimorbidity, the clinical reasoning processes involved during the longitudinal management are still sparse.

This study aimed to investigate what are the different characteristics of the clinical reasoning process clinicians use with patients suffering from multimorbidity, and to what extent this clinical reasoning differs from diagnostic reasoning.

Design

Given the exploratory nature of this study and the difficulty general practitioners (GPs) have in expressing their reasoning, a qualitative methodology was therefore, chosen. The Clinical reasoning Model described by Charlin et al was used as a framework to describe the multifaceted processes of the clinical reasoning.

Setting

Semistructured interviews were conducted with nine GPs working in an ambulatory setting in June to September 2018, in Geneva, Switzerland.

Participants

Participants were GPs who came from public hospital or private practice. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and a thematic analysis was conducted.

Results

The results highlighted how some cognitive processes seem to be more specific to the management reasoning.

Thus, the main goal is not to reach a diagnosis, but rather to consider several possibilities in order to maintain a balance between the evidence-based care options, patient’s priorities and maintaining quality of life. The initial representation of the current problem seems to be more related to the importance of establishing links between the different pre-existing diseases, identifying opportunities for actions and trying to integrate the new elements from the patient’s context, rather than identifying the signs and symptoms that can lead to generating new clinical hypotheses. The multiplicity of options to resolve problems is often perceived as difficult by GPs. Furthermore, longitudinal management does not allow them to achieve a final resolution of problems and that requires continuous review and an ongoing prioritisation process.

Conclusion

This study contributes to a better understanding of the clinical reasoning processes of GPs in the longitudinal management of patients suffering from multimorbidity. Through a practical and accessible model, this qualitative study offers new perspectives for identifying the components of management reasoning. These results open the path to new research projects.

Understanding GPs' clinical reasoning processes involved in managing patients suffering from multimorbidity: A systematic review of qualitative and quantitative research

BACKGROUND

Most consultations in primary care involve patients suffering from multimorbidity. Nevertheless, few studies exist on the clinical reasoning processes of general practitioners (GPs) during the follow-up of these patients. The aim of this systematic review is to summarise published evidence on how GPs reason and make decisions when managing patients with multimorbidity in the long term.

METHODS

A search of the relevant literature from Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, and ERIC databases was conducted in June 2019. The search terms were selected from five domains: primary care, clinical reasoning, chronic disease, multimorbidity, and issues of multimorbidity. Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods studies published in English and French were included. Quality assessment was performed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool.

RESULTS

A total of 2 165 abstracts and 362 full-text articles were assessed. Thirty-two studies met the inclusion criteria. Results showcased that GPs' clinical reasoning during the long-term management of multimorbidity is about setting intermediate goals of care in an ongoing process that adapts to the patients' constant evolution and contributes to preserve their quality of life. In the absence of guidelines adapted to multimorbidity, there is no single correct plan, but competing priorities and unavoidable uncertainties. Thus, GPs have to consider and weigh multiple factors simultaneously. In the context of multimorbidity, GPs describe their reasoning as essentially intuitive and seem to perceive it as less accurate. These clinical reasoning processes are nevertheless more analytical as they might think and rooted in deep knowledge of the individual patient.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the challenges GPs are facing in the long-term follow-up of patients suffering from multimorbidity are increasingly known, the literature currently offers limited information about GPs' clinical reasoning processes at play. GPs tend to underestimate the complexity and richness of their clinical reasoning, which may negatively impact their practice and their teaching.

Social isolation and health-promoting behaviors among older adults living with different health statuses: A cross-sectional study

Objectives

To describe the characteristics and relationships of social isolation and health promoting behaviors of Chinese older adults with different health statuses.

Methods

Totally 485 older adults were recruited. They were divided into three groups based on their health status: healthy group (n = 72), group with one disease (n = 183) and group with multimorbidity (n = 230). Lubben Social Network Scale-6 and Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II were used to measure their social isolation and health-promoting behaviors, respectively.

Results

Among the aged with one disease or multimorbidity, 30.6% (56/183) and 31.7% (73/230) were socially isolated, respectively, based on the score of the Lubben Social Network Scale-6. The three groups differed significantly in health-promoting behaviors and scores on several subscales. The group with multimorbidity exhibited more social isolation and fewer health-promoting behaviors than other groups. Social isolation was among the factors adversely affecting health-promoting behaviors in older adults.

Conclusions

Health care providers should help older adults with multimorbidity preserve the remaining abilities to improve health-promoting behaviors. Meanwhile, it is important to support healthy older adults to increase self-responsibility to achieve healthy aging.

Priorities and preferences for care of people with multiple chronic conditions

Background

To guide the development of high‐quality care for people with multiple chronic conditions, partners of the European Joint Action CHRODIS developed the Integrated Multimorbidity Care Model. To assess its suitability for improving care for people with multimorbidity in the Netherlands, the model was piloted in a primary care setting with both patients and care providers.

Aim

This paper reports on the patient perspective, and aims to explore the priorities, underlying values and preferences for care of people with multimorbidity.

Participants and methods

Twenty persons with multimorbidity (selected from general practice registries) participated in a focus group or telephone interview. Subsequently, a questionnaire was completed by 863 persons with multimorbidity registered with 14 general practices. Qualitative data were thematically analysed and quantitative data by means of descriptive statistics.

Results

Frequently prioritized elements of care were the use of shared electronic health records, regular comprehensive assessments, self‐management support and shared decision making, and care coordination. Preferences for how these elements should be specifically addressed differed according to individual values (eg weighing safety against privacy) and needs (eg ways of coping with multimorbidity).

Conclusion

The JA‐CHRODIS Integrated Multimorbidity Care Model reflects the priorities and preferences for care of people with multimorbidity in the Netherlands, which supports its relevance to guide the development of person‐centred integrated care for people with multiple chronic conditions in the Netherlands.

Patient contribution

European patient experts contributed to the development and applicability assessment of the JA‐CHRODIS Integrated Multimorbidity Care Model; Dutch patients participated in focus groups, interviews and a survey.

Prevalence of multimorbidity and associated factors in the Brazilian working population

INTRODUCTION

According to the World Health Organization (2018), recent changes in the epidemiological profile of working populations point to an increase in non-communicable chronic illnesses and a decrease in communicable chronic illnesses.

OBJECTIVES

To estimate the prevalence of multimorbidity in the Brazilian working population (≥18 years) and identify associated factors based on data from the 2013 national health survey (Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde).

METHODS

This was a cross sectional study based on data from the 2013 national health survey, which included n = 47,629 people aged 18 years or older. As part of the survey, participants were asked whether they had ever been diagnosed with any of several chronic diseases. The prevalence of multimorbidity in this population and its association with socioeconomic, lifestyle and occupational characteristics were examined. Bivariate analyses were used to calculate prevalence ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Multivariate analyses were conducted using Poisson regression and Wald's tests to estimate the coefficients of significant variables.

RESULTS

The prevalence of multimorbidity was 19.98% (95% confidence interval: 19.29%-20.70%). Higher rates of multimorbidity were associated with female gender, age 60 years or older, living with a spouse, past history of smoking, low education levels (illiterate/primary), living in urban areas, having medical or dental insurance and a history of work accidents.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of multimorbidity in the Brazilian population is low. When present, multimorbidity is associated with specific occupational, socioeconomic and lifestyle characteristics.

Understanding the clinical reasoning processes involved in the management of multimorbidity in an ambulatory setting: study protocol of a stimulated recall research

BACKGROUND

Primary care physicians are at the very heart of managing patients suffering from multimorbidity. However, several studies have highlighted that some physicians feel ill-equipped to manage these kinds of complex clinical situations. Few studies are available on the clinical reasoning processes at play during the long-term management and follow-up of patients suffering from multimorbidity. This study aims to contribute to a better understanding on how the clinical reasoning of primary care physicians is affected during follow-up consultations with these patients.

METHODS

A qualitative research project based on semi-structured interviews with primary care physicians in an ambulatory setting will be carried out, using the video stimulated recall interview method. Participants will be filmed in their work environment during a standard consultation with a patient suffering from multimorbidity using a "button camera" (small camera) which will be pinned to their white coat. The recording will be used in a following semi-structured interview with physicians and the research team to instigate a stimulated recall. Stimulated recall is a research method that allows the investigation of cognitive processes by inviting participants to recall their concurrent thinking during an event when prompted by a video sequence recall. During this interview, participants will be prompted by different video sequence and asked to discuss them; the aim will be to encourage them to make their clinical reasoning processes explicit. Fifteen to twenty interviews are planned to reach data saturation. The interviews will be transcribed verbatim and data will be analysed according to a standard content analysis, using deductive and inductive approaches.

CONCLUSION

Study results will contribute to the scientific community's overall understanding of clinical reasoning. This will subsequently allow future generation of primary care physicians to have access to more adequate trainings to manage patients suffering from multimorbidity in their practice. As a result, this will improve the quality of the patient's care and treatments.

Prevalence of multimorbidity in the Cypriot population; A cross-sectional study (2018-2019)

Background

Multimorbidity is defined as the co-existence of two or more chronic conditions. As life expectancy is increasing so does the prevalence of multimorbidity. Our aim was to estimate the prevalence of multimorbidity in Cyprus and identify the most prevalent diseases.

Methods

A representative sample of n = 1140 individuals over 18 years old was surveyed during 2018–2019. Demographic characteristics as well as the presence of chronic conditions, including mental disorders, were collected through a standardized questionnaire. Diseases were classified according to the International Classification of Diseases, 10^th Revision (ICD-10).

Results

The age and gender standardized prevalence of multimorbidity was 28.6%. Multimorbidity was associated with age (p<0.001), with the highest rate observed among people aged 65+ years old (68.9%). Multimorbidity was higher in women than men (28.2% vs. 22.5%, p < .001) but similar in urban and rural regions (26.4% vs. 23.8%, p = 0.395). The most prevalent chronic diseases among people with multimorbidity were hyperlipidemia (44.7%), followed by hypertension (37.5%), gastric reflux (23.9%), and thyroid diseases (22.2%), while the most common combinations of diseases were in the circulatory and endocrine systems. The profile of the multimorbid individual indicated this to be a person at an older age with a higher BMI, a current smoker with a higher salary.

Conclusions

More than one quarter of the general population of Cyprus has multimorbidity, and this rate is almost 70% among the elderly. Multimorbidity is relatively common even in younger ages too. This underlines the need for prevention strategies and health awareness programs for the entire population.

Effects of healthcare interventions on psychosocial factors of patients with multimorbidity: A systematic review and meta-analysis

PURPOSE

A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to assess the types of healthcare intervention programs offered to patients with multimorbidity and their effects on key psychosocial factors.

METHODS

For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched databases like Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, CINAHL RISS, KISS, etc. for studies published between January 1, 2009, and April 30, 2019. In total, 8,248 studies in English or Korean were reviewed. We included only randomized controlled trials or quasi-experimental studies that applied healthcare interventions and had major effects on the psychosocial factors in adult patients with multimorbidity. Methodological quality was assessed using Cochrane collaboration risk of bias tool. Meta-analysis was performed using the Review Manager 5.3 version to estimate the effect size.

RESULTS

We identified six randomized controlled trials and 1446 subjects were enrolled. The results reveal that healthcare interventions have an effect on self-rated health (SMD = 0.53 95 % CI: 0.26, 0.79, p < .001), reducing anxiety (SMD = -0.19 95 % CI: -0.36, -0.01, p = .030) and depression (SMD = -0.27 95 % CI: -0.44, -0.10, p = .002), and improving self-efficacy (SMD = 0.21 95 % CI: 0.06, 0.35, p = .005) for patients with multimorbidity. However, there was no significant effect on quality of life.

CONCLUSION

Healthcare interventions had significant positive effects on self-rated health, anxiety, depression, and self-efficacy of patients with multimorbidity. These results are expected to serve as basic data for the development of a community-based integrated healthcare intervention program and health policy, especially for the vulnerable older population with multimorbidity.

A cross-sectional study of Swiss ambulatory care services use by multimorbid patients in primary care in the light of the Andersen model

BACKGROUND

Multimorbidity is frequently encountered in primary care and is associated with increasing use of healthcare services. The Andersen Behavioral Model of Health Services Use is a multilevel framework classifying societal, contextual, and individual characteristics about the use of healthcare services into three categories: 1. predisposing factors, 2. enabling factors, and 3. need factors. The present study aimed to explore multimorbid patients' use of ambulatory healthcare in terms of homecare and other allied health services, visits to GPs, and number of specialists involved. A secondary aim was to apply Andersen's model to explore factors associated with this use.

METHOD

In a cross-sectional study, 100 Swiss GPs enrolled up to 10 multimorbid patients each. After descriptive analyses, we tested the associations of each determinant and outcome variable of healthcare use, according to the Andersen model: predisposing factors (patient's demographics), enabling factors (health literacy (HLS-EU-Q6), deprivation (DipCare)), and need factors (patient's quality of life (EQ-5D-3L), treatment burden (TBQ), severity index (CIRS), number of chronic conditions, and of medications). Logistic regressions (dichotomous variables) and negative binomial regressions (count variables) were calculated to identify predictors of multimorbid patients' healthcare use.

RESULTS

Analyses included 843 multimorbid patients; mean age 73.0 (SD 12.0), 28-98 years old; 48.3% men; 15.1% (127/843) used homecare. Social deprivation (OR 0.75, 95%CI 0.62-0.89) and absence of an informal caregiver (OR 0.50, 95%CI 0.28-0.88) were related to less homecare services use. The use of other allied health services (34.9% (294/843)) was associated with experiencing pain (OR 2.49, 95%CI 1.59-3.90). The number of contacts with a GP (median 11 (IQR 7-16)) was, among other factors, related to the absence of an informal caregiver (IRR 0.90, 95%CI 0.83-0.98). The number of specialists involved (mean 1.9 (SD 1.4)) was linked to the treatment burden (IRR 1.06, 95%CI 1.02-1.10).

CONCLUSION

Multimorbid patients in primary care reported high use of ambulatory healthcare services variably associated with the Andersen model's factors: healthcare use was associated with objective medical needs but also with contextual or individual predisposing or enabling factors. These findings emphasize the importance of adapting care coordination to individual patient profiles.

Predictors of multimorbidity among the Kurdish population living in the Northwest of Iran

BACKGROUND

There is limited information about the predictors of multimorbidity (MM) among ethnic minority older adults in Iran. This study aimed to examine the impact of sociodemographic and lifestyle factors on the prevalence of MM, among older Kurdish people living in the Northwest of Iran.

METHODS

The current study was conducted in Bukan city located in West Azarbaijan province in the Northwest of Iran. The data for this study was based on the enrolment phase of a longitudinal study on ageing among the Kurdish population aged 50-94 yearswhich was designed according to the elderly component of the PERSIAN Cohort in Iran. Stratified random sampling was used to select people aged 50 + from eight health centres in Bukan from Oct 2017 to Dec 2018. Those who accepted the invitation and completed the baseline questionnaire were included in this study (N = 1493; Response rate 75%). A range of different factors,including sociodemographic and lifestyle factors as well as self-reported chronic conditions, was obtained by trained interviewers. MM was defined as "coexistence of two or more chronic conditions in the same person". We included a list of 36 diseases/conditions in this analysis. Descriptive analysis and logistic regression were performed to compare the prevalence of MM according to different factors.

RESULTS

Over a third of the participants (36.6%) had ≥2chronic conditionsand 15.7% had≥3 chronic conditions. Hypertension, diabetes, musculoskeletal conditions, fatty liver, and heart diseases were common chronic conditions. In a fully adjusted logistic regression model, older age (OR_adj = 1.92, 95% CI: 1.48-2.48), being female (OR_adj = 1.49, 95%CI: 1.14-1.94), living without aspouse (OR_adj = 1.81, 95%CI: 1.34-2.44), and inadequate consumption of fruit and vegetables (OR_adj = 1.33, 95%CI: 1.06-1.67) were associated with the higher prevalence of MM.

CONCLUSION

This study found that the prevalence of MM is relatively high among older Kurdishadults. Sociodemographic differences in the prevalence of MM might be of interest tothe health care system,and the prevalence of common chronic conditions in this study may highlight the need forlifestyle modifications in this community.

Association between chronic diseases and falls among a sample of older people in Finland

Background

Falls are a major problem for older people and recurrent fallers are especially prone to severe consequences due to falls. This study investigated the association between chronic conditions and falls.

Methods

Responses from 872 older persons (age 65–98) to a health questionnaire were used in the analyses. Characteristics and disease prevalence between recurrent fallers, one-time fallers and non-fallers were compared. A hierarchical clustering method was applied to find combinations of chronic conditions that were associated with recent recurrent falling.

Results

The results showed that recurrent fallers had a higher number of diseases (median 4, interquartile range, IQR = 2.0–5.0) compared to non-fallers (median 2, IQR = 1.0–3.0). Eight clusters were formed based on the data. The participants in the low chronic disease cluster were younger, more physically active, not frail, and had fewer geriatric conditions. Multiple chronic disease cluster participants were older, less physically active, overweight (body mass index, BMI > 30), at risk of malnutrition, and had more geriatric conditions. Significantly increased risk of recurrent falls relative to the low chronic cluster was found for respondents in the osteoporosis cluster and multiple chronic disease cluster (OR = 5.65, 95% confidence interval CI: 1.23–25.85, p = 0.026, and OR = 13.42, 95% CI: 2.47–72.96, p = 0.002, respectively). None of the clusters were associated with increased risk of one-time falling.

Conclusions

The results implicate that the number of chronic diseases is related with risk of recurrent falling. Furthermore, the results implicate the potential of identifying certain combinations of chronic diseases that increase fall risk by analyzing health record data, although further studies are needed with a larger population sample.

Nurses' Experiences of Promoting Healthy Aging in the Municipality: A Qualitative Study

The purpose of this study was to describe nurses’ experiences of promoting healthy aging in municipalities. A descriptive qualitative research design based on semi-structured interviews with 13 nurses was employed. The nurses described the importance of giving older adults the possibility to live as individuals, but also that the organization matters as too does the nurses’ own desire to work professionally and with passion. Nurses in the municipality noticed that in today’s world, there is a changing perspective of older adults. They more often want to continue their previous life and care greatly about quality of life and because of this, they also expect more service from their health care. Our study suggests that nurses should be supported to specialize in elderly care and measures should be taken to reduce the gap between vision and reality when it comes to team work.

Comparing the prognostic value of geriatric health indicators: a population-based study

BACKGROUND

The identification of individuals at increased risk of poor health-related outcomes is a priority. Geriatric research has proposed several indicators shown to be associated with these outcomes, but a head-to-head comparison of their predictive accuracy is still lacking. We therefore aimed to compare the accuracy of five geriatric health indicators in predicting different outcomes among older persons: frailty index (FI), frailty phenotype (FP), walking speed (WS), multimorbidity, and a summary score including clinical diagnoses, functioning, and disability (the Health Assessment Tool; HAT).

METHODS

Data were retrieved from the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care in Kungsholmen, an ongoing longitudinal study including 3363 people aged 60+. To inspect the accuracy of geriatric health indicators, we employed areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for the prediction of 3-year and 5-year mortality, 1-year and 3-year unplanned hospitalizations (1+), and contacts with healthcare providers in the 6 months before and after baseline evaluation (2+).

RESULTS

FI, WS, and HAT showed the best accuracy in the prediction of mortality [AUC(95%CI) for 3-year mortality 0.84 (0.82-0.86), 0.85 (0.83-0.87), 0.87 (0.85-0.88) and AUC(95%CI) for 5-year mortality 0.84 (0.82-0.86), 0.85 (0.83-0.86), 0.86 (0.85-0.88), respectively]. Unplanned hospitalizations were better predicted by the FI [AUC(95%CI) 1-year 0.73 (0.71-0.76); 3-year 0.72 (0.70-0.73)] and HAT [AUC(95%CI) 1-year 0.73 (0.71-0.75); 3-year 0.71 (0.69-0.73)]. The most accurate predictor of multiple contacts with healthcare providers was multimorbidity [AUC(95%CI) 0.67 (0.65-0.68)]. Predictions were generally less accurate among younger individuals (< 78 years old).

CONCLUSION

Specific geriatric health indicators predict clinical outcomes with different accuracy. Comprehensive indicators (HAT, FI, WS) perform better in predicting mortality and hospitalization. Multimorbidity exhibits the best accuracy in the prediction of multiple contacts with providers.

Factors associated with patients' and GPs' assessment of the burden of treatment in multimorbid patients: a cross-sectional study in primary care

Background

Multimorbid patients may experience a high burden of treatment. This has a negative impact on treatment adherence, health outcomes and health care costs. The objective of our study was to identify factors associated with the self-perceived burden of treatment of multimorbid patients in primary care and to compare them with factors associated with GPs assessment of this burden.

Method

A cross sectional study in general practices, 100 GPs in Switzerland and up to 10 multimorbid patients per GP. Patients reported their self-perceived burden of treatment using the Treatment Burden Questionnaire (TBQ, possible score 0–150), whereas GPs evaluated the burden of treatment on a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) from 1 to 9. The study explored medical, social and psychological factors associated with burden of treatment, such as number and type of chronic conditions and drugs, severity of chronic conditions (CIRS score), age, quality of life, deprivation, health literacy.

Results

The GPs included 888 multimorbid patients. The overall median TBQ was 20 and the median VAS was 4. Both patients’ and GPs’ assessment of the burden of treatment were inversely associated with patients’ age and quality of life. In addition, patients’ assessment of their burden of treatment was associated with a higher deprivation score and lower health literacy, and with having diabetes or atrial fibrillation, whereas GPs’ assessment of this burden was associated with the patient having a greater number of chronic conditions and drugs, and a higher CIRS score.

Conclusion

Both from patients’ and GPs’ perspectives TB appears to be higher in younger patients. Whereas for patients the burden of treatment is associated with socio-economic and psychological factors, GPs’ assessments of this burden are associated with medical factors. Including socio-economic and psychological factors on patients’ self-perception is likely to improve GPs’ assessments of their patients’ burden of treatment thus favoring patient-centered care.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12875-019-0974-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Increasing age- and gender-specific burden and complexity of multimorbidity in Taiwan, 2003-2013: a cross-sectional study based on nationwide claims data

OBJECTIVE

Although there is accumulating evidence regarding multimorbidity in Western countries, this information is very limited in Asian countries. This study aimed to estimate population-based, age-specific and gender-specific prevalence and trends of multimorbidity in the Taiwanese population.

DESIGN

This was a cross-sectional study based on claims data (National Health Insurance Research Database, Taiwan).

PARTICIPANTS

The participants included a subset of the National Health Insurance Research Database, which contains claims data for two million randomly selected beneficiaries (~10% of the total population) under Taiwan's mandatory National Health Insurance system.

OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS

The prevalence of multimorbidity in different age groups and in both sexes in 2003 and 2013 was reported. We analysed data on the prevalence of 20 common diseases in each age group and for both sexes. To investigate the clustering effect, we used graphical displays to analyse the likelihood of co-occurrence with one, two, three, and four or more other diseases for each selected disease in 2003 and 2013.

RESULTS

The prevalence of multimorbidity (two or more diseases) was 20.07% in 2003 and 30.44% in 2013. In 2013, the prevalence varied between 5.21% in patients aged 20-29 years and 80.96% in those aged 80-89 years. In patients aged 50-79 years, the prevalence of multimorbidity was higher in women than in men. In men, the prevalence of chronic pulmonary disease and cardiovascular-related diseases was predominant, while in women the prevalence of osteoporosis, arthritis, cancer and psychosomatic disorders was predominant. Co-occurring diseases varied across different age and gender groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The burden of multimorbidity is increasing and becoming more complex in Taiwan, and it was found to vary across different age and gender groups. Fulfilling the needs of individuals with multimorbidity requires collaborative work between healthcare providers and needs to take the age and gender disparities of multimorbidity into account.

Increasing age- and gender-specific burden and complexity of multimorbidity in Taiwan, 2003-2013: a cross-sectional study based on nationwide claims data

OBJECTIVE

Although there is accumulating evidence regarding multimorbidity in Western countries, this information is very limited in Asian countries. This study aimed to estimate population-based, age-specific and gender-specific prevalence and trends of multimorbidity in the Taiwanese population.

DESIGN

This was a cross-sectional study based on claims data (National Health Insurance Research Database, Taiwan).

PARTICIPANTS

The participants included a subset of the National Health Insurance Research Database, which contains claims data for two million randomly selected beneficiaries (~10% of the total population) under Taiwan's mandatory National Health Insurance system.

OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS

The prevalence of multimorbidity in different age groups and in both sexes in 2003 and 2013 was reported. We analysed data on the prevalence of 20 common diseases in each age group and for both sexes. To investigate the clustering effect, we used graphical displays to analyse the likelihood of co-occurrence with one, two, three, and four or more other diseases for each selected disease in 2003 and 2013.

RESULTS

The prevalence of multimorbidity (two or more diseases) was 20.07% in 2003 and 30.44% in 2013. In 2013, the prevalence varied between 5.21% in patients aged 20-29 years and 80.96% in those aged 80-89 years. In patients aged 50-79 years, the prevalence of multimorbidity was higher in women than in men. In men, the prevalence of chronic pulmonary disease and cardiovascular-related diseases was predominant, while in women the prevalence of osteoporosis, arthritis, cancer and psychosomatic disorders was predominant. Co-occurring diseases varied across different age and gender groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The burden of multimorbidity is increasing and becoming more complex in Taiwan, and it was found to vary across different age and gender groups. Fulfilling the needs of individuals with multimorbidity requires collaborative work between healthcare providers and needs to take the age and gender disparities of multimorbidity into account.

Family practitioners' top medical priorities when managing patients with multimorbidity: a cross-sectional study

Background

Managing multiple chronic and acute conditions in patients with multimorbidity requires setting medical priorities. How family practitioners (FPs) rank medical priorities between highly, moderately, or rarely prevalent chronic conditions (CCs) has never been described. The authors hypothesised that there was no relationship between the prevalence of CCs and their medical priority ranking in individual patients with multimorbidity.

Aim

To describe FPs’ medical priority ranking of conditions relative to their prevalence in patients with multimorbidity.

Design & setting

This cross-sectional study of 100 FPs in Switzerland included patients with ≥3 CCs on a predefined list of 75 items from the International Classification of Primary Care 2 (ICPC-2); other conditions could be added. FPs ranked all conditions by their medical priority.

Method

Priority ranking and distribution were calculated for each condition separately and for the top three priorities together.

Results

The sample contained 888 patients aged 28–98 years (mean 73), of which 48.2% were male. Included patients had 3–19 conditions (median 7; interquantile range [IQR] 6–9). FPs used 74/75 CCs from the predefined list, of which 27 were highly prevalent (>5%). In total, 336 different conditions were recorded. Highly prevalent CCs were only the top medical priority in 66%, and the first three priorities in 33%, of cases. No correlation was found between prevalence and the ranking of medical priorities.

Conclusion

FPs faced a great diversity of different conditions in their patients with multimorbidity, with nearly every condition being found at nearly every rank of medical priority, depending on the patient. Medical priority ranking was independent of the prevalence of CCs.

Chronic conditions and multimorbidity in a primary care population: a study in the Swiss Sentinel Surveillance Network (Sentinella)

OBJECTIVES

To provide estimates of the prevalence of chronic conditions in Swiss primary care.

METHODS

In total, 175 general practitioners (GP) or pediatricians (PED) reporting to the Swiss Sentinel Surveillance Network collected morbidity data.

RESULTS

In 26,853 patient contacts, mean (± SD) age was 55.8 ± 21.6 or 6.1 ± 5.7 years (in GPs vs. PEDs, respectively) and 47% were males. In GP patients, median Thurgau Morbidity Index was 2 (IQR 1-3). The median numbers of chronic conditions and permanently used prescribed drugs were 2 (0-5) and 2 (1-4), respectively; in PEDs medians were 0. Out of all patients, 16.7 and 7.0% of the PED patients were hospitalized during the previous year; patients cared by family/proxies or community nurses were hospitalized significantly more often than patients living in homes (50.1 vs. 35.4%, OR 1.41, p < 0.001). Out of patients over 80 years of age, 51.5% were care dependent and 45.5% of the patients over 90 years were living in homes for the elderly.

CONCLUSIONS

In a representative sample of Swiss primary care patients, a substantial part shows multimorbidity with a high prevalence of chronic diseases, multiple drug treatment, and care dependency. These data may serve to be compared with other patient groups or other primary care systems. Trial registration www.clinicaltrials.gov NCT0229537, national study registry www.kofam.ch SNCTP000001207.