Approaches to characterising multimorbidity in older people accessing hospital care: a scoping review

Abstract

Aim: To assess approaches taken to characterise multimorbidity in older adults accessing hospital care, including an assessment of how clinical complexity has been accounted for. Findings: This review identified 75 papers reporting on 72 unique study populations. Only 43% (n = 31/72) of these studies of multimorbidity in older adults accessing hospital care explicitly defined multimorbidity, and there was a reliance on weighted indices (61%, n = 41/72) to characterise multimorbidity. Complexity was rarely explicitly studied (17%, n = 12/72), and where it was no consistent approach to exploring complexity of conditions or health and care interactions within this population was evident. Message: As the proportion of older adults accessing hospital care who are living with multimorbidity increases, better characterisation of their multiple conditions and associated complexity is a priority to ensure delivery of appropriately tailored care.