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Defining chronic conditions for primary care with ICPC-2
Julie O'Halloran1, Graeme C Miller, Helena Britt
1Family Medicine Research Centre, University of Sydney, Acacia House, PO Box 533, Wentworthville NSW 2145, Australia. julieo@med.usyd.edu.au
Family Practice
|July 14, 2004
Summary
A standardized definition for chronic conditions is crucial for research and healthcare management. This study identified key characteristics and applied them to a primary care classification, creating a defined codeset for chronic conditions.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- General Practice
- Medical Informatics
Background:
- Rising prevalence of chronic conditions necessitates standardized definitions for research and clinical practice.
- Current definitions lack standardization, hindering accurate population prevalence and management evaluation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify essential characteristics for defining chronicity.
- To apply these characteristics to a primary care classification system.
- To develop a defined codeset for chronic conditions.
Main Methods:
- Conducted a literature review to identify characteristics defining chronic conditions.
- Applied identified characteristics to the International Classification of Primary Care-Version 2 (ICPC-2) using ICPC-2 PLUS.
- Delineated a set of ICPC-2 rubrics representing chronic conditions.
Main Results:
- Key characteristics for defining chronicity include duration, prognosis, pattern, and sequelae.
- 129 ICPC-2 rubrics were classified as 'chronic', with 20 more having elements of chronicity.
- Duration was the most common criterion (98.4%), and 88.2% of rubrics met at least three criteria.
Conclusions:
- Multifaceted definitions of chronicity are supported by this research.
- The developed codeset aids in identifying chronic conditions managed in Australian general practice.
- Further analysis will establish baseline measures for chronic condition prevalence and management.