International multimorbidity

Hi everyone! We are two 4^th year medical students at University of Glasgow currently carrying out our student selected component (SSC) on multimorbidity research. We were tasked with updating the library database for the final quarter of 2022 and writing a report that touches on some of the new, interesting publications found in the field of multimorbidity research.

 

This time round, we decided to include a new heading/category: COVID-19. This is where we hope to include any multimorbidity research covering any aspect of the pandemic from impact of lockdown to clinical outcomes. We hope you find this a useful addition!

 

Too often, we found ourselves lost in multimorbidity literature due to the inconsistencies in definitions and chronic conditions of focus, ourselves included. Some articles look at multimorbidity on the whole while others evaluate multimorbidity subsets like Cardiometabolic Multimorbidity, Geriatric Multimorbidity and so on. I (Devansh) found a new addition to our Definitions/Conceptualisation section by Shilpa Tyagi et al. (1) particularly useful in the clarification and standardisation of the definition of multimorbidity. They aimed to arrive at a consensus on the definition of multimorbidity in the Singapore’s primary care setting. The final list of 23 chronic conditions was determined by an expert panel of family physicians. These chronic conditions were persistent or chronic and 3 or more of them would be needed in a single patient to be defined as multimorbidity. While the most common definition only requires a threshold of 2 or more chronic conditions, this does highlight the need for national and international standardisations of this definition in order to facilitate quantification of multimorbidity burden and aid resource allocation. I found this to be a good read as we strive to better understand prevailing multimorbidity trends and patterns that would guide future policymaking in every healthcare system.

 

One article that I (Mia) found particularly interesting was from our new COVID-19 section by Delerue Matos et al. (2) They noted a paucity of information regarding behaviour changes during the pandemic. The study used data from 26 countries and found that 72% of people with multimorbidity engaged in highly precautionary behaviours, such as mask-wearing, limiting leaving the house and enhanced handwashing, and were 25% more likely to participate in precautionary behaviours than those without. I am quite interested in psychology concepts so this was a really interesting read and opened up a gap in the literature which I think should be further researched to help tailor public health campaigns and messages to those who need them most. 

The full results of the search for this quarter can be found here: Multimorbidity Publications Sept to Dec 2022

 

1. Tyagi S, Koh V, Koh GC, Low LL, Lee ES. Defining and measuring multimorbidity in primary care in Singapore: Results of an online Delphi study. PLoS One. 2022;17(12):e0278559. 
2. Delerue Matos A, Fonseca de Paiva A, Cunha C, Voss G. Precautionary behaviours of individuals with multimorbidity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Eur J Ageing. 2022;19(4):827-35.

 

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First published: 21 February 2023