SynthesisBMJ (Clinical research ed.)2020
Measuring multimorbidity beyond counting diseases: systematic review of community and population studies and guide to index choice.
Synthesis in BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 113 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
113 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- The prevalence of mental health-related multimorbidity during pregnancy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC public health · 2026Pooled it
- Variations in multimorbidity measurement in studies evaluating hospitalisation in older adults: a systematic review.BMC geriatrics · 2025Pooled it
- Relationship Between Clusters of Multimorbidity and Dementia Risk: A Systematic Review.International journal of geriatric psychiatry · 2025Pooled it
- Multimorbidity and analgesic-related harms: a systematic review.British journal of anaesthesia · 2025Pooled it
- How to assess multimorbidity: a systematic review.Frontiers in public health · 2025Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Trial
- Trial
- Comorbidities and depressive symptoms among older adults with asthma.The Journal of asthma : official journal of the Association for the Care of Asthma · 2022Trial
- Multimorbidity patterns and cognitive trajectories in older adults: functional, behavioral, and environmental pathways-a longitudinal analysis of CHARLS.Research square · 2026Article
- Longitudinal Patterns of Within- and Cross-Domain Multimorbidity Across Physical, Psychological, and Cognitive Conditions in China and the United States: The Role of Socioeconomic and Healthcare Inequalities.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- In older adults undergoing surgical fixation or arthroplasty following upper limb fractures, does frailty predict post-operative complications and mortality? A systematic review and meta-analysis.JSES reviews, reports, and techniques · 2026Review
- Temporal Trends in Multimorbidity Patterns in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation-A Nationwide Cohort Study.European journal of clinical investigation · 2026Article
- Article
- Prevalence of frailty, multimorbidity, and polypharmacy and their association with health outcomes in hospitalized older adults: a prospective multicenter cohort study.BMC geriatrics · 2026Article
- Outcome measurement for multiple long-term conditions research across health-care settings - an overview of reviews.BMC medicine · 2026Review
- Multimorbidity Trajectories Across Three National Ageing Cohorts: Early Branching States and Persistent Cardiometabolic-Musculoskeletal Profiles.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Counting co-occurring diseases to predict mortality is as accurate as multimorbidity indices: an external validation study.Age and ageing · 2026Article
- Deterministic Overlapping Multimorbidity Phenotypes for Leakage-Safe EHR Modeling of Incident Cognitive Impairment in All of Us.Journal of interdisciplinary research applied to medicine · 2026Article
- Bridging the Gap Between Social Determinants and Health Profile: A New Stratification Tool for the Italian National Health Service.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
53 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectivesTo identify and summarise existing indices for measuring multimorbidity beyond disease counts, to establish which indices include mental health comorbidities or outcomes, and to develop recommendations based on applicability, performance, and usage.
designSystematic review. DATA SOURCES: Seven medical research databases (Medline, Web of Science Core Collection, Cochrane Library, Embase, PsycINFO, Scopus, and CINAHL Plus) from inception to October 2018 and bibliographies and citations of relevant papers. Searches were limited to English language publications. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR STUDY SELECTION: Original articles describing a new multimorbidity index including more information than disease counts and not focusing on comorbidity associated with one specific disease. Studies were of adults based in the community or at population level.
resultsAmong 7128 search results, 5560 unique titles were identified. After screening against eligibility criteria the review finally included 35 papers. As index components, 25 indices used conditions (weighted or in combination with other parameters), five used diagnostic categories, four used drug use, and one used physiological measures. Predicted outcomes included mortality (18 indices), healthcare use or costs (13), hospital admission (13), and health related quality of life (7). 29 indices considered some aspect of mental health, with most including it as a comorbidity. 12 indices are recommended for use.
conclusions35 multimorbidity indices are available, with differing components and outcomes. Researchers and clinicians should examine existing indices for suitability before creating new ones. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42017074211.
Indexed as
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.