Resumo

BROEIRO-GONCALVES, Paula Maria; AGUIAR, Pedro  e  LOUREIRO, Isabel. Magnitude, pattern and severity of multimorbidity in elderly people followed by integrated continuing care teams: a cross-sectional study. Rev Port Med Geral Fam [online]. 2019, vol.35, n.2, pp.83-97. ISSN 2182-5173.  https://doi.org/10.32385/rpmgf.v35i2.12416.

Objective: To characterise the magnitude, severity and pattern of the multimorbidity. To verify which association exists between multimorbidity dimensions and medical conditions or systems. Study type: Cross-sectional study, with descriptive and analytical component, by interview. Setting: Integrated Continuing Care teams (ECCI) of Lisbon and Tagus Valley region. Participants: Elderly aged 75 years and over. Methods: Sample size (n=114 elderly) was calculated for a 5% error margin and a 95% confidence interval, corrected for the design effect (n=228 elderly). Sampling was performed using randomised selected clusters (ECCI). The analysis was performed through the generalised linear model - GEE using the IBM SPSS version 24.0 tool for the MAC OS operating system. Results: 230 elderly participated, 54% female, mean age 83.6 years, low schooling (40% without education), and 14.8% living alone. The total number of different medical conditions reported was 121. The average number of problems per person was 9.5, and the average Charlson index was 8.5. There was an association between male gender and both magnitude (OR=2.452) and severity (OR=22.333) of multimorbidity. Severity was associated with: multimorbidity defined as six or more conditions (OR=22.333), and three or more systems (OR=3.171). Ischemic coronary disease was associated with the highest mean number of conditions (11.64), and with Charlson's index (10.50). Hypertension and heart failure were the diagnoses with the most associated problems and more than three systems. Conclusions: The population followed-up in ECCI is elderly and presents a high multimorbidity. A difference between genders was confirmed, with women older and men presenting with higher and more severe multimorbidity. The definition of multimorbidity of six or more problems was associated with multisystemic disease and severity.

Palavras-chave : Multimorbidity; Comorbidity; Multimorbidity pattern; Elderly; Home visit.

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