Comparing measures of multimorbidity to predict outcomes in primary care: a cross sectional study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

An increasing proportion of people are living with multiple health conditions, or 'multimorbidity'. Measures of multimorbidity are useful in studies of interventions in primary care to take account of confounding due to differences in case-mix.

Objectives

Assess the predictive validity of commonly used measures of multimorbidity in relation to a health outcome (mortality) and a measure of health service utilization (consultation rate).

Methods

We included 95372 patients registered on 1 April 2005 at 174 English general practices included in the General Practice Research Database. Using regression models we compared the explanatory power of six measures of multimorbidity: count of chronic diseases from the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF); Charlson index

SUBMITTER: Brilleman SL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3604888 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature