Patterns of multimorbidity in general practitioner care

The MultiCare study is a multicenter, prospective cohort study with 3,189 multimorbid patients aged 65 to 85 years, randomly selected from 158 GP practices in 8 study centers (Bonn, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt/Main, Hamburg, Jena, Leipzig, Mannheim and Munich). Multimorbidity was defined as the presence of at least three chronic diseases.

The aims of the project are:

• To identify patterns of multimorbidity in the population of older GP patients,
• to analyze within these patterns especially the relationship between mental and somatic complaints and diseases
• to identify prognostic variables for the course of multimorbidity
• to illustrate the severity and somatic, psychological and social consequences of multimorbidity patterns for older people over time,
• to investigate how older patients and their relatives cope with their lives (self-management and support from family members) and
• to analyze the use of resources and care costs of older people with multimorbidity over time.

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• Krüger C, Schäfer I, van den Bussche H, Bickel H, Fuchs A, Gensichen J, König HH, Maier W, Mergenthal K, Riedel-Heller SG, Schön G, Weyerer S, Wiese B, von Renteln-Kruse W, Langebrake C, Scherer M. Anticholinergic drug burden according to the anticholinergic drug scale and the German anticholinergic burden and their impact on cognitive function in multimorbid elderly German people: a multicentre observational study. BMJ Open. 2021 Mar 23;11(3):e044230. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-044230.
  
• Schäfer I, Hansen H, Kaduszkiewicz H, Bickel H, Fuchs A, Gensichen J, Maier W, Riedel-Heller SG, König HH, Dahlhaus A, Schön G, Weyerer S, Wiese B, van den Bussche H, Scherer M. Health behavior, social support, socio-economic status and the 5-year progression of multimorbidity: Results from the MultiCare Cohort Study. J Comorb. 2019 Nov 6;9:2235042X19883560. doi: 10.1177/2235042X19883560.
  
• Scherer M, Hansen H, Gensichen J, Mergenthal K, Riedel-Heller S, Weyerer S, Maier W, Fuchs A, Bickel H, Schön G, Wiese B, König HH, van den Bussche H, Schäfer I. Association between multimorbidity patterns and chronic pain in elderly primary care patients: a cross-sectional observational study. BMC Fam Pract. 2016 Jun 6;17:68. doi: 10.1186/s12875-016-0468-1.
  
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• Schulz S, Brenk-Franz K, Kratz A, Petersen JJ, Riedel-Heller SG, Schäfer I, Weyerer S, Wiese B, Fuchs A, Maier W, Bickel H, König HH, Scherer M, van den Bussche H, Gensichen J; MultiCare Study Group. Self-efficacy in multimorbid elderly patients with osteoarthritis in primary care--influence on pain-related disability. Clin Rheumatol. 2015 Oct;34(10):1761-7. doi: 10.1007/s10067-014-2766-0.
  
• Petersen JJ, Paulitsch MA, Mergenthal K, Gensichen J, Hansen H, Weyerer S, Riedel-Heller SG, Fuchs A, Maier W, Bickel H, König HH, Wiese B, van den Bussche H, Scherer M, Dahlhaus A; MultiCare Study Group. Implementation of chronic illness care in German primary care practices--how do multimorbid older patients view routine care? A cross-sectional study using multilevel hierarchical modeling. BMC Health Serv Res. 2014 Aug 7;14:336. doi: 10.1186/1472-6963-14-336.
  
• Sikorski C, Luppa M, Weyerer S, König HH, Maier W, Schön G, Petersen JJ, Gensichen J, Fuchs A, Bickel H, Wiese B, Hansen H, van den Bussche H, Scherer M, Riedel-Heller SG. Obesity and associated lifestyle in a large sample of multi-morbid German primary care attendees. PLoS One. 2014 Jul 18;9(7):e102587. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0102587.
  
• Freytag A, Quinzler R, Freitag M, Bickel H, Fuchs A, Hansen H, Hoefels S, König HH, Mergenthal K, Riedel-Heller SG, Schön G, Weyerer S, Wegscheider K, Scherer M, van den Bussche H, Haefeli WE, Gensichen J. Gebrauch und potenzielle Risiken durch nicht verschreibungspflichtige Schmerzmittel [Use and potential risks of over-the-counter analgesics]. Pain. 2014 Apr;28(2):175-82. doi: 10.1007/s00482-014-1415-5.
  
• Wicke FS, Güthlin C, Mergenthal K, Gensichen J, Löffler C, Bickel H, Maier W, Riedel-Heller SG, Weyerer S, Wiese B, König HH, Schön G, Hansen H, van den Bussche H, Scherer M, Dahlhaus A. Depressive mood mediates the influence of social support on health-related quality of life in elderly, multimorbid patients. BMC Fam Pract. 2014 Apr 8;15:62. doi: 10.1186/1471-2296-15-62.
  
• Bock JO, Luppa M, Brettschneider C, Riedel-Heller S, Bickel H, Fuchs A, Gensichen J, Maier W, Mergenthal K, Schäfer I, Schön G, Weyerer S, Wiese B, van den Bussche H, Scherer M, König HH. Impact of depression on health care utilization and costs among multimorbid patients--from the MultiCare Cohort Study. PLoS One. 2014 Mar 17;9(3):e91973. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0091973.
  
• Hansen H, Schäfer I, Schön G, Riedel-Heller S, Gensichen J, Weyerer S, Petersen JJ, König HH, Bickel H, Fuchs A, Höfels S, Wiese B, Wegscheider K, van den Bussche H, Scherer M. Agreement between self-reported and general practitioner-reported chronic conditions among multimorbid patients in primary care - results of the MultiCare Cohort Study. BMC Fam Pract. 2014 Mar 1;15:39. doi: 10.1186/1471-2296-15-39.
  
• Nützel A, Dahlhaus A, Fuchs A, Gensichen J, König HH, Riedel-Heller S, Maier W, Schäfer I, Schön G, Weyerer S, Wiese B, Scherer M, van den Bussche H, Bickel H. Self-rated health in multimorbid older general practice patients: a cross-sectional study in Germany. BMC Fam Pract. 2014 Jan 3;15:1. doi: 10.1186/1471-2296-15-1.
  
• Brettschneider C, Leicht H, Bickel H, Dahlhaus A, Fuchs A, Gensichen J, Maier W, Riedel-Heller S, Schäfer I, Schön G, Weyerer S, Wiese B, van den Bussche H, Scherer M, König HH; MultiCare Study Group. Relative impact of multimorbid chronic conditions on health-related quality of life--results from the MultiCare Cohort Study. PLoS One. 2013 Jun 24;8(6):e66742. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0066742.
  
• König HH, Leicht H, Bickel H, Fuchs A, Gensichen J, Maier W, Mergenthal K, Riedel-Heller S, Schäfer I, Schön G, Weyerer S, Wiese B, Bussche Hv, Scherer M, Eckardt M; MultiCare study group. Effects of multiple chronic conditions on health care costs: an analysis based on an advanced tree-based regression model. BMC Health Serv Res. 2013 Jun 15;13:219. doi: 10.1186/1472-6963-13-219.
  
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• Schäfer I, Hansen H, Schön G, Maier W, Höfels S, Altiner A, Fuchs A, Gerlach FM, Petersen JJ, Gensichen J, Schulz S, Riedel-Heller S, Luppa M, Weyerer S, Werle J, Bickel H, Barth K, König HH, Rudolph A, Wiese B, Prokein J, Bullinger M, von dem Knesebeck O, Eisele M, Kaduszkiewicz H, Wegscheider K, van den Bussche H. The German MultiCare-study: Patterns of multimorbidity in primary health care - protocol of a prospective cohort study. BMC Health Serv Res. 2009 Aug 11;9:145. doi: 10.1186/1472-6963-9-145.