Multimorbidity Patterns in Elderly Primary Health Care Patients in a South Mediterranean European Region: A Cluster Analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

The purpose of this study was to identify clusters of diagnoses in elderly patients with multimorbidity, attended in primary care.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

251 primary care centres in Catalonia, Spain.

Participants

Individuals older than 64 years registered with participating practices.

Main outcome measures

Multimorbidity, defined as the coexistence of 2 or more ICD-10 disease categories in the electronic health record. Using hierarchical cluster analysis, multimorbidity clusters were identified by sex and age group (65-79 and ≥80 years).

Results

322,328 patients with multimorbidity were included in the analysis (mean age, 75.4 years [Standard deviation, SD: 7.4], 57.4% women; mean of 7.9 diagnoses [SD: 3.9]). For both men

SUBMITTER: Foguet-Boreu Q 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4629893 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature