By Martin Fortin

Here are the results of a literature search that I would like to share with you presenting articles on multimorbidity published between October and December 2011, along with the links to the abstracts or full texts:

1-    Caughey GE, Roughead EE. Multimorbidity research challenges: where to go from here? Journal of Comorbidity. 2011;1:8–10.[Full text]
2-    Cohen E, Bruce-Barrett C, Kingsnorth S, Keilty K, Cooper A, Daub S. Integrated Complex Care Model: Lessons Learned from Inter-organizational Partnership. Healthc Q. 2011;14 Spec No 3:64-70.[Abstract]
3-    De Vries NM, Van Ravensberg CD, Hobbelen JS, Olde Rikkert MG, Staak SB, Nijhuis-van der Sanden MW. Effects of physical exercise therapy on mobility, physical functioning, physical activity and quality of life in community-dwelling older adults with impaired mobility, physical disability and/or multi-morbidity: A meta-analysis. Ageing Resource Review, 11 novembre 2011 (Epub ahead of print). 2011.[Abstract]
4-    Esper AM, Martin GS. The impact of cormorbid conditions on critical illness. Crit Care Med. 2011;39:2728-35.[Abstract]
5-    Gilbert AL, Caughey GE, Vitry AI, Clark A, Ryan P, McDermott RA, et al. Ageing well: Improving the management of patients with multiple chronic health problems. Australas J Ageing. 2011;30 (SUPPL.2):32-7.[Abstract]
6-    Grant RW, Ashburner JM, Hong CC, Chang Y, Barry MJ, Atlas SJ. Defining Patient Complexity From the Primary Care Physician’s Perspective: A Cohort Study. Ann Intern Med. 2011;155:797-804.[Abstract]
7-    Haverhals LM, Lee CA, Siek KA, Darr CA, Linnebur SA, Ruscin JM, et al. Older adults with multi-morbidity: medication management processes and design implications for personal health applications. J Med Internet Res. 2011;13:e44.[Abstract]
8-    Marengoni A, Angleman S, Fratiglioni L. Prevalence of disability according to multimorbidity and disease clustering: a population-based study. Journal of Comorbidity. 2011;1:11–8.[Full text]
9-    Mercer SW, Gunn J, Wyke S. Improving the health of people with multimorbidity: the need for prospective cohort studies. Journal of Comorbidity. 2011;1:4–7.[Full text]
10- Nobili A, Marengoni A, Tettamanti M, Salerno F, Pasina L, Franchi C, et al. Association between clusters of diseases and polypharmacy in hospitalized elderly patients: results from the REPOSI study. Eur J Intern Med. 2011;22:597-602.[Abstract]
11-  Nobili A, Garattini S, Mannucci PM. Multiple diseases and polypharmacy in the elderly: challenges for the internist of the third millennium. Journal of Comorbidity. 2011;1:28–44.[Full text]
12-  Spangenberg L, Forkmann T, Brähler E, Glaesmer H. The association of depression and multimorbidity in the elderly: implications for the assessment of depression. Psychogeriatrics. 2011;11:227-34.[Abstract]
13-  Steinhaeuser J, Miksch A, Ose D, Glassen K, Natanzon I, Szecsenyi J, et al. Questionnaire of chronic illness care in primary care-psychometric properties and test-retest reliability. BMC Health Serv Res. 2011;11:295.[Full text]
14-  Townsend A. Applying Bourdieu’s theory to accounts of living with multimorbidity. Chronic Illn 2011 Dec 2 [Epub ahead of print]. 2011.[Abstract]
15-  Valderas JM, Mercer SW, Fortin M. Research on patients with multiple health conditions: different constructs, different views, one voice. Journal of Comorbidity. 2011;1:1–3.[Full text]

All references are included in our library. Feel free to share with anyone interested in multimorbidity.

By Martin Fortin

Good news! A new journal with a special focus on patients with multimorbidity and comorbidity has been created.

The Journal of Comorbidity (JOC), an international, open-access, peer-reviewed journal for the pathophysiology, diagnosis, prevention and management of comorbidity has been inaugurated and its first issue is already posted online.

Although the name of the journal might suggest that it is devoted exclusively to articles related to the well known definition of comorbidity provided by Feinstein “any distinct additional clinical entity that has existed or may occur during the clinical course of a patient who has the index disease under study”, the first issue of JOC makes it clear that this is not the case. 

The inaugural editorial of the Editor-in-Chief clearly states that “the management of patients with comorbidity needs to consider the patient as a whole, extending beyond the primary medical speciality, and encompassing all of the coexisting complications, not just the principal disease or various conditions in isolation”.

In addition, an editorial authored by José M. Valderas, Stewart W. Mercer, and myself further explains that “the journal has opted to use comorbidity in its name, and a number of well founded reasons explain this choice: for reasons of simplicity; in order to acknowledge both the relevance of research on comorbidity for the treatment of specific conditions and the historical pre-eminence of the construct; and finally, for an awareness of evolving concepts”.

 This journal that clearly invites authors to submit papers related to both comorbidity AND multimorbidity represents another opportunity to publish research of great value.