Multimorbidity and health outcomes in older adults in ten European health systems, 2006-15
File(s)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Palladino, Raffaele
Pennino, Francesca
Finbarr, Martin
Millett, Christopher
Triassi, Maria
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Despite the increase in awareness of chronic disease, little is known about whether multimorbidity-defined as two or more coexisting chronic conditions-has had a diminished impact on health in Europe in the past decade. We used multiple cross-sectional data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe to estimate changes in the prevalence of multimorbidity and in its association with health outcomes in ten European countries between 2006-07 and 2015. We found that the prevalence of multimorbidity rose from 38.2 percent in 2006-07 to 41.5 percent in 2015. Over the ten-year study period we also found a marginal reduction of the impact of multimorbidity on primary care visits and functional capacity. We did not find a reduction of its impact on hospital admissions and quality of life. Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, and Spain were the countries that showed the largest reduction in the impact of multimorbidity on health outcomes. Multimorbidity continues to pose challenges for European health care systems, with only marginal improvement on health care use and health outcomes since 2006-07.
Date Issued
2019-04
Date Acceptance
2019-04-01
Citation
Health Affairs, 2019, 38 (4), pp.613-623
ISSN
0278-2715
Publisher
Project HOPE
Start Page
613
End Page
623
Journal / Book Title
Health Affairs
Volume
38
Issue
4
Copyright Statement
© 2019 Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.
Identifier
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30933577
Subjects
Chronic disease management models
Elderly
Europe
Functional capacity
Healthcare utilisation
Quality of life
multimorbidity
Publication Status
Published
Coverage Spatial
United States
Date Publish Online
2019-04-01