The association of multimorbidity with healthcare expenditure among the elderly patients in Beijing,China

ObjectivesTo add evidence to the relationship between multimorbidity and healthcare expenditure.MethodsThe study population comprised patients aged ≥60 in Beijing, covered by the Urban Employee Basic Medical Insurance (UEBMI) (N = 30,774). Multimorbidity was measured with 33 chronic conditions confirmed by doctors. Multivariate linear regression was performed.ResultsThe prevalence of multimorbidity was 82% among elderly patients in Beijing and was higher in older and female patients. About 95% of the healthcare expenditure on the 33 conditions was spent on multimorbid patients. In the multivariate analysis, after inclusion of demographic characteristics, disease severity, and health facility level, the expenditure increased significantly with the number of chronic conditions. After further including condition types, the coefficients of the number of conditions were much lower than those in previous models. The expenditure on patients with two and three conditions was 3.4 times (95% CI: 3.2–3.7) and 5.3 times (95% CI: 4.7–6.0) higher than that on patients with a single condition, respectively; however, the expenditure did not significantly increase after three conditions.ConclusionsMultimorbidity is common among elderly patients in Beijing and consumes the majority of the healthcare resources. The health delivery system in China and other low- and middle-income countries needs to pay more attention to multimorbidity.     

Systematic review on the use of anticholinergic scales in poly pathological patients

PurposeAnticholinergic drugs may increase the risk of cognitive and functional disorders in older patients. There are anticholinergic scales on which said risk is estimated. The objectives of this study are: to identify the scales described in literature that are applicable to polypathological patients and analyze their clinical outcomes.Material and methodsA systematic review was performed. Data sources were MEDLINE, EMBASE and Web of Science which were consulted until August 2014. Inclusion criteria: (1) studies that specify the list of drugs, describe the methodology for their elaboration and how they calibrate the anticholinergic potential and (2) studies that use the scales identified as a tool to measure exposure to anticholinergic drugs in polypathological patients or those with similar characteristics. The main differences between the scales and main results on cognitive, functional and mortality status were collected.Results25 articles were included. 10 scales were identified. For their preparation, 8 were based on literature about drugs with anticholinergic activity and/or previously published scales as well as expert opinions. Exposure to anticholinergic drugs has been linked to cognitive disorders (basically measured with Anticholinergic Risk Scale (ARS), Anticholinergic Cognitive Burden Scale (ACB) and Drug Burden Index (DBI)) and functional scale (with ARS and DBI). However, there is no clear relationship with mortality. The Anticholinergic Drug Scale was the only one that obtained no association with any of the variables studied.ConclusionsThere is a great variety of scales published and applied to older patients. The clinical results are different depending on the scale used which is probably due to the different methodology in their elaboration.     

Supporting older people with multimorbidity: The care burden of home health-care assistants in Ireland

The treatment burden inherent in self-managing multiple chronic conditions (multimorbidity) is recognized, but there has been little examination of the care burden experienced by paid home health-care assistants (HCAs) who support older people with multimorbidity. Focus groups were conducted with HCAs in Ireland and data were coded using a thematic analysis approach. Care burden of HCAs was linked with lack of knowledge and information, poor communication, insufficient time and resources, gaps in medication support and work-related stress. Strategies are required to reduce the care burden of HCAs, who are essential stakeholders supporting growing numbers of older people with multimorbidity.     

EUROPREV

Abstract

Background: Ageing people show increasing morbidity, dependence and vulnerability.

Objectives: To compare the relationships of different measures of multimorbidity with dependence (operationalized as disability) and vulnerability (operationalized as frailty).

Method: A cross-sectional analysis within the BELFRAIL cohort (567 subjects aged ≥ 80). Multimorbidity was measured using a disease count (DC), the Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) and the cumulative illness rating scale (CIRS), respectively. Associations with disability (based on activities of daily living) and frailty (defined by the Fried frailty criteria) were assessed using bivariable and multivariable analyses. Net reclassification improvement (NRI) values were calculated to compare the abilities of the DC, CCI and CIRS to identify patients with disability or frailty.

Results: Disability was associated with the DC (crude odds ratio, OR: 2.1; 95% confidence interval, CI: 1.4–3.4), CCI (crude OR: 1.8; 95% CI: 1.2–2.7) and CIRS (crude OR: 4.0; 95% CI: 2.5–6.5); only the association with CIRS was independent of age, sex, chronic inflammation, impaired cognition and frailty (adjusted OR: 3.2; 95% CI: 1.7–5.8). Frailty was associated with CCI (crude OR: 2.4; 95% CI: 1.2–4.6) and CIRS (crude OR: 2.6; 95% CI: 1.3–5.3); adjusted for age, sex, chronic inflammation, impaired cognition and disability. These associations were not statistically significant. The NRIs demonstrated a similar ability of the DC, CCI, and CIRS to identify patients with disability or frailty, respectively.

Conclusion: The associations of different measures of multimorbidity with disability and frailty differ but their ability to identify patients with disability or frailty is similar. Generally, multimorbidity scores incompletely reflect dependence and vulnerability in this age group.     

How do general practitioners recognize the definition of multimorbidity? A European qualitative study

Background: Multimorbidity is a challenging concept for general practice. An EGPRN working group has published a comprehensive definition of the concept of multimorbidity. As multimorbidity could be a way to explore complexity in general practice, it was of importance to explore whether European general practitioners (GPs) recognize this concept and whether they would change it.

Objectives: To investigate whether European GPs recognize the EGPRN concept of multimorbidity and whether they would change it.

Methods: Focus group meetings and semi-structured interviews as data collection techniques with a purposive sample of practicing GPs from every country. Data collection continued until saturation was reached in every country. The analysis was undertaken using a grounded theory based method. In each national team, four independent researchers, working blind and pooling data, carried out the analysis. To ensure the internationalization of the data, an international team of 10 researchers pooled the axial and selective coding of all national teams to check the concept and highlight emerging themes.

Results: The maximal variation and saturation of the sample were reached in all countries with 211 selected GPs. The EGPRN definition was recognized in all countries. Two additional ideas emerged, the use of Wonca’s core competencies of general practice, and the dynamics of the doctor–patient relationship for detecting and managing multimorbidity and patient’s complexity.

Conclusion: European GPs recognized and enhanced the EGPRN concept of multimorbidity. These results open new perspectives regarding the management of complexity using the concept of multimorbidity in general practice.

Key Messages

• European general practitioners recognize the EGPRN enhanced, comprehensive concept of multimorbidity.

• They add the use of Wonca’s core competencies and the patient–doctor relationship dynamics for detecting and managing multimorbidity.

• The EGPRN concept of multimorbidity leads to new perspectives for the management of complexity.

     

中国10个地区成年人共病流行特征分析

目的:描述中国成年人的共病流行情况及其长期变化,以及常见的共病模式。方法:本研究纳入参与中国慢性病前瞻性研究第二次重复调查的25 033人,利用研究对象参加2004-2008年基线调查和2013-2014年第二次重复调查时采集的信息进行分析。根据自报疾病史、现场体格检查及血液样本检测等信息定义了13种慢性病或健康问题,...     

Relevance and feasibility of a systematic screening of multimorbidities in patients with chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases

Objectives

EULAR recently proposed to screen multimorbidities in chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases. The aims of the study were to define the most common multimorbidities in chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases, compare the screening approach performed in the clinic with the recent EULAR recommendations, validate the points to consider for the systematic standardized multimorbidity screening proposed by EULAR and assess feasibility of such a screening in a daily clinic.

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

PurposeA 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.MethodsFor 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.ResultsWe 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.ConclusionHealthcare 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.     

4种慢性病共病模式及运动与全因死亡的相关性研究

目的 了解人群慢性病共病罹患现状、不同共病模式的全因死亡风险及运动对共病相关死亡风险和寿命损失的影响。方法 研究纳入我国台湾地区美兆健康管理中心437 408名体检者,采用分类决策树对高血压、糖尿病、慢性肾功能不全（CKD）和慢性阻塞性肺疾病（COPD）4种疾病进行组合,使用Cox比例风险回归模型计算共病模式的危险比（HR）及其95%CI,采用蒋式寿命表法计算人群预期寿命。结果 人群中共病检出率为8.7%,二元、三元、四元共病组合中检出率最高的分别为“高血压+CKD”（3.6%）、“高血压+糖尿病+CKD”（1.1%）、“高血压+糖尿病+CKD+COPD”（0.1%）;与健康人群相比,全因死亡风险最高的组合分别为“糖尿病+CKD”（HR=3.80,95%CI：3.45~4.18）、“糖尿病+COPD+CKD”（HR=4.34,95%CI：3.43~5.49）、“高血压+糖尿病+CKD+COPD”（HR=4.75,95%CI：4.15~5.43）。与不运动人群相比,进行低强度运动和中高强度运动均降低了由共病升高的死亡风险。单一疾病和共病带来4.6、13.4年的人群寿命损失,运动可分别挽回2.3、4.6年的寿命损失年,低强度和中高强度运动分别挽回1.5、3.7年由慢性病造成的寿命损失。结论 基于“糖尿病+CKD”的共病模式死亡风险最高。运动能降低共病患者的死亡风险。运动强度越大,降低效果越显著。