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The increasing burden and complexity of multimorbidity
Anna J Koné Pefoyo1,2,3, Susan E Bronskill4,5, Andrea Gruneir6,7,8,9
1Cancer Screening, Cancer Care Ontario/Action Cancer Ontario, 505 University Avenue, Room 18-14, Toronto, M5G 1X3, Ontario, Canada. Anna.Kone@cancercare.on.ca.
BMC Public Health
|April 24, 2015
Summary
The prevalence of multimorbidity, the co-occurrence of multiple chronic conditions, increased by 40% in Ontario from 2003 to 2009. This rise highlights the need for person-centered care strategies over single-disease management.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Multimorbidity, defined as the co-occurrence of two or more chronic conditions, is prevalent in older adults.
- It is linked to increased healthcare costs and fragmented care.
- Population-based data on multimorbidity prevalence and trends are crucial for effective health planning.
Purpose of the Study:
- To estimate the population-based prevalence and trends of multimorbidity in Ontario, Canada.
- To investigate patterns in the co-occurrence of chronic conditions within the population.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cohort study of all Ontarians aged 0-105 years with at least one of 16 common chronic conditions.
- Descriptive statistics were used to analyze prevalence by age and number of conditions in 2003 and 2009.
- Exploration of chronic condition co-occurrence patterns among individuals with multimorbidity.
Main Results:
- Multimorbidity prevalence in Ontario increased from 17.4% in 2003 to 24.3% in 2009 (a 40% rise).
- This upward trend was observed across all age groups.
- Co-occurrence rates within individual chronic conditions varied widely (44%-99%), with no dominant patterns identified.
Conclusions:
- The substantial increase and diverse combinations of multimorbidity underscore the limitations of single-disease management.
- Person-centered care approaches are likely more effective for managing complex patient needs.
- Further research into effective multimorbidity management strategies is warranted.
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