Complex health problems among the oldest old in Sweden: increased prevalence rates between 1992 and 2002 and stable rates thereafter

Studies of health trends in older populations usually focus on single health indicators. We include multiple medical and functional indicators, which together indicate the broader impact of health problems experienced by individuals and the need for integrated care from several providers of medical and long-term care. The study identified severe problems in three health domains (diseases/symptoms, mobility, and cognition/communication) in three nationally representative samples of the Swedish population aged 77+ in 1992, 2002, and 2011 (n ≈ 1900; response rate >85 %). Institutionalized people and proxy interviews were included. People with severe problems in two or three domains were considered to have complex health problems. Results showed a significant increase of older adults with complex health problems from 19 % in 1992 to 26 % in 2002 and no change thereafter. Changes over time remained when controlling for age and sex. When stratified by education, complex health problems increased significantly for people with lower education between 1992 and 2002 and did not change significantly between 2002 and 2011. For higher-educated people, there was no significant change over time. Among the people with severe problems in the symptoms/disease domain, about half had no severe problems in the other domains. People with severe mobility problems, on the other hand, were more likely to also have severe problems in other domains. Even stable rates may imply an increasing number of very old people with complex health problems, resulting in a need for improved coordination between providers of medical care and social services.     

Evidence on multimorbidity from definition to intervention: An overview of systematic reviews

The increasing challenge of multiple chronic diseases (multimorbidity) requires more evidence-based knowledge and effective practice. In order to better understand the existing evidence on multimorbidity, we performed a systematic review of systematic reviews on multimorbidity with pre-established search strategies and exclusion criteria by searching multiple databases and grey literature. Of 8006 articles found, 53 systematic reviews (including meta-analysis and qualitative research synthesis performed in some reviews) that stated multimorbidity as the main focus were included, with 79% published during 2013–2016. Existing evidence on definition, measurement, prevalence, risk factors, health outcomes, clinical practice and medication (polypharmacy), and intervention and management were identified and synthesised. There were three major definitions from three perspectives. Seven studies on prevalence reported a range from 3.5% to 100%. As six studies showed, depression, hypertension, diabetes, arthritis, asthma, and osteoarthritis were prone to be comorbid with other conditions. Four groups of risk factors and eight multimorbidity associated outcomes were explored by five and six studies, respectively. Nine studies evaluated interventions, which could be categorized into either organizational or patient-oriented, the effects of these interventions were varied. Self-management process, priority setting and decision making in multimorbidity were synthesised by evidence from 4 qualitative systematic reviews. We were unable to draw solid conclusions from this overview due to the heterogeneity in methodology and inconsistent findings among included reviews. As suggested by all included studies, there is a need for prospective research, especially longitudinal cohort studies and randomized control trials, to provide more definitive evidence on multimorbidity.     

Longitudinal associations of multimorbidity,disability and out-of-pocket health expenditures in households with older adults in Mexico: The study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE)

BackgroundEmpirical evidence suggests that multimorbidity and disability are each significantly associated with out-of-pocket (OOP) health expenditures; however few efforts have been made to explore their joint association with OOP health expenditures.ObjectivesTo estimate the association of multimorbidity and disability with OOP health expenditures in households with older adults in Mexico, as well as the potential interaction effects of multimorbidity and disability on OOP health expenditures.MethodsLongitudinal study based on data collected as part of the Study on global AGEing and adult health Wave 1 (2009) and Wave 2 (2014), a nationally representative study in Mexico with a sample of older adults aged 50 and older. The dependent variable was OOP health expenditures, and main exposure variables were multimorbidity and disability. Two-Part regression models were used to analyze the relation between multimorbidity, disability and OOP health expenditures.ResultsMultimorbidity was associated with the probability of incurring OOP health expenditures (OR = 1.28, CI_95% 1.11–1.48), and also the tertiles of disability (2nd tertile: OR = 1.45, CI_95% 1.23–1.70; 3rd tertile: OR = 2.19, CI_95% 1.81–2.66). The presence of multimorbidity was associated with an increase of 13% in average OOP health costs (β = 0.13, CI_95% 0.01–0.25), and 16% for the 3rd tertile of disability (β = 0.16, CI_95% 0.01–0.31). We did not find significant interaction effects of multimorbidity and disability.ConclusionsMultimorbidity and disability appear to be important determinants of OOP health expenditures. The economic implications for the households and the health system should be highlighted, particularly in low- and middle-income countries because of the rapid growth of their aging populations.     

‘I’ve put diabetes completely on the shelf till the mental stuff is in place’. How patients with doctor-assessed impaired self-care perceive disease,self-care,and support from general practitioners. A qualitative study

Objective: This paper investigated patients’ experiences of disease and self-care as well as perceptions of the general practitioner’s role in supporting patients with impaired self-care ability.

Design: Qualitative interviews with 13 patients with type 2 diabetes, concurrent chronic diseases, and impaired self-care ability assessed by a general practitioner. We analyzed our data using systematic text condensation. The shifting perspectives model of chronic illness formed the theoretical background for the study.

Results: Although most patients experienced challenges in adhering to recommended self-care activities, many had developed additional, personal self-care routines that increased wellbeing. Some patients were conscious of self-care trade-offs, including patients with concurrent mental disorders who were much more attentive to their mental disorder than their somatic diseases. Patients’ perspectives on diseases could shift over time and were dominated by emotional considerations such as insisting on leading a normal life or struggling with limitations caused by disease. Most patients found support in the ongoing relationship with the same general practitioner, who was valued as a companion or appreciated as a trustworthy health informant.

Conclusion: Patient experiences of self-care may collide with what general practitioners find appropriate in a medical regimen. Health professionals should be aware of patients’ prominent and shifting considerations about the emotional aspects of disease. Patients valued the general practitioner’s role in self-care support, primarily through the long-term doctor-patient relationship. Therefore, relational continuity should be prioritized in chronic care, especially for patients with impaired self-care ability who often have a highly complex disease burden and situational context.

• Key points

• Little is known about the perspectives of disease and self-care in patients with a doctor-assessed impaired ability of self-care.

• ??Although patients knew the prescribed regimen they often prioritized self-care routines that increased well-being at the cost of medical recommendations.

• ??Shifting emotional aspects were prominent in patients’ considerations of disease and sustained GPs’ use of a patient-centred clinical method when discussing self-care.

• ??Relational continuity with general practitioners was a highly valued support and should be prioritized for patients with impaired self-care.

     

Quality of Life and Multimorbidity of Elderly Outpatients

INTRODUCTION:

Substantial medical research has established an inverse relationship between quality of life and illness. However, there exists minimal evidence for such a connection in the context of stable and controlled diseases.

OBJECTIVE:

We wished to correlate multimorbidity with quality of life for elderly patients who suffer from stable chronic diseases.

METHODS:

We used a tool to evaluate quality of life, namely World Health Organization quality of life-BRIEF, together with a scale of multimorbidity known as the Cumulative Illness Rating Scale - Geriatric Version. Furthermore, the quality of life data were correlated with scores recorded on the Cumulative Illness Rating Scale - Geriatric Version, the number of drugs used, and individual perceptions of health and age.

RESULTS:

We studied 104 elderly patients who suffered from chronic diseases. The patients had exhibited neither acute events nor secondary complications, their cognition was intact, and they were functionally independent. The Cumulative Illness Rating Scale - Geriatric Version showed an inverse correlation with the physical domain (p= 0.008) and a tendency toward an inverse correlation with the psychological domain (p= 0.052). Self-perception of health showed a high correlation with the physical domain (p= 0.000), psychological domain (p= 0.000) and environmental domain (p= 0.000). The number of drugs used correlated only with the physical domain (p= 0.004). Age and social domain showed a tendency toward a positive correlation (p= 0.054).

DISCUSSION:

We uncovered an inverse relationship between quality of life and multimorbidity in a group of patients who suffered from stable chronic diseases, with no functional limitations, pain or complications. Our data suggest that a patient’s knowledge that they have a certain clinical condition changes their subjective assessment of quality of life in the related domain.

CONCLUSION:

The perceived quality of life of the sample was affected by multimorbidity in the physical domain, with a tendency toward commensurate effects in the psychological domain.     

Complex health problems and mortality among the oldest old in Sweden: decreased risk for men between 1992 and 2002

Although mortality in older ages generally declined in most countries during the past decades less is known about mortality trends among the most vulnerable subset of the oldest old. The aim of this study was to investigate possible changes between 1992 and 2002 in the relation of complex health problems and mortality in two representative samples of the Swedish population aged 77+ (1992: n = 537; 2002: n = 561). Further, it was examined if trends differed by sex, education, and age. Serious problems in three health domains were identified (diseases/symptoms, mobility, cognition/communication). People with serious problems in two or three domains were considered to have complex health problems. Four-year mortality was analyzed using Cox proportional hazard regressions. Controlled for age, sex, education, and health status mortality risk decreased by 20% during the 10-year period. Complex health problems strongly predicted 4-year mortality in both 1992 and 2002. No single dimension explained the decrease. Men with complex health problems accounted for most of the decrease in mortality risk, so much that the gender difference in mortality risk was almost eliminated among elderly people with complex health problems 2002. A considerable decrease in the mortality risk among men with complex health problems has implications for the individual who may face longer periods of complex health problems and dependency. It will also place increasing demands upon medical and social services as well as informal caregivers.     

Relationship Between Multimorbidity and Health-Related Quality of Life of Patients in Primary Care

Previous studies about the association of multimorbidity and the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in primary-care patients are limited because of their reliance on simple counts of diseases from a limited list of diseases and their failure to assess the severity of disease. We evaluated the association while taking into account the severity of the medical conditions based on the Cumulative Illness Rating Scale (CIRS) score, and controlling for potential confounders (age, sex, household income, education, self-perception of economic status, number of people living in the same dwelling, and perceived social support). We randomly selected 238 patients to construct quintiles of increasing multimorbidity (CIRS). Patients completed the 36-item Medical Outcomes study questionnaire (SF-36) to evaluate their HRQOL. Applying bivariate and multivariate linear regression analyses, we used the CIRS as either a continuous or a categorical (quintiles) variable. Use of the CIRS revealed a stronger association of HRQOL with multimorbidity than using a simple count of chronic conditions. Physical more than mental health deteriorated with increasing multimorbidity. Perceived social support and self-perception of economic status were significantly related to all scales of the SF-36 (p < 0.05). Increased multimorbidity adversely affected HRQOL in primary-care adult patients, even when confounding variables were controlled for.     

上海社区中青年慢性病多病共存现况研究

背景　慢性非传染性疾病（慢性病）已成为威胁我国居民健康的头号“杀手”，目前慢性病管理服务已经基本覆盖老龄化人口，研究中青年居民慢性病流行病学趋势及多病共存的现状将为确定下一步慢性病管理服务重点提供依据。目的　了解上海社区中青年人群慢性病患病情况及多病共存情况，为中青年的社区慢性病管理提供理论依据和数据支撑。方法　收集2017年1月-2019年12月上海某社区医院信息系统（HIS）年龄18~50岁患者的诊疗数据，分析慢性病的患病情况和多病共存病种组合。结果　34 720例18~50岁中青年患者中，8 922例（25.70%）有1种慢性病，3 134例（9.03%）有2种慢性病，3 484例（10.03%）有≥3种慢性病，6 618例（19.06%）患者存在多病共存。不同性别、年龄、签约与否社区中青年慢性病多病共存情况比较，差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）；其中，男性多病共存比例高于女性，年龄越大慢性病多病共存比例越高，签约者高于未签约者（P<0.05）。患病率排名前5位的疾病分别为高血压、关节脊椎疾病、胃十二指肠炎症、功能性肠疾患、脑血管病。2种疾病组合多是“高血压”“糖尿病”“关节脊椎疾病”“胃十二指肠炎症”的两两组合，3种及以上的病种组合多为“肝胆疾病”与其他疾病的组合。结论　上海社区中青年人群的慢性病多病共存情况不容忽视，病种组合明显区别于老年人群，呈现中青年特异性，需要社区家庭医生提供针对性的慢性病管理服务。