Implementation of a virtual community of practice to promote the empowerment of middle-aged people with multimorbidity: study protocol of a randomised controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Empowering people living with multimorbidity (multiple chronic conditions) to gain greater confidence in managing their health can enhance their quality of life. Education focused on self-management is a key tool for fostering patient empowerment and is mostly provided on an individual basis. Virtual communities of practice (VCoP) present a unique opportunity for online education in chronic condition self-management within a social context. This research aims to evaluate the effectiveness/cost-effectiveness of individualised, online self-management education compared with VCoP among middle-aged individuals living with multiple chronic conditions. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: People aged 30-60, living with ≥2 chronic conditions and receiving care in primary care (PC) centres and outpatient hospital-based clinics in Madrid and Canary Islands will enrol in an 18-month parallel-design, blinded (intervention assessment and data analysts), pragmatic (adhering to the intention-to-treat principle), individually randomised trial. The trial will compare two 12-month web-based educational offers of identical content; one delivered individually (control) and the other with online social interaction (VCoP, intervention). Using repeated measures mixed linear models, with the patient as random effect and allocation groups and time per group as fixed effects, we will estimate between-arm differences in the change in Patient Activation Measure from baseline to 12 months (primary endpoint), including measurements at 6-month and 18-month follow-up. Other outcomes will include measures of depression and anxiety, treatment burden, quality of life. In addition to a process evaluation of the VCoP, we will conduct an economic evaluation estimating the relative cost-effectiveness of the VCoP from the perspectives of both the National Health System and the Community. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The trial was approved by Clinical Research Ethics Committees of Gregorio Marañón University Hospital in Madrid/Nuestra Señora Candelaria University Hospital in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The results will be disseminated through workshops, policy briefs, peer-reviewed publications and local/international conferences. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT06046326.

The Influence of Socioeconomic and Educational Factors on the Level of Anxiety and Fear of COVID-19.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there were reports of heightened levels of anxiety and fear of contagion in the general population. Such psychological responses may be influenced by the socio-environmental context in which individuals reside. This study aimed to examine the relationship between socioeconomic and educational factors and the level of anxiety and fear related to COVID-19. A multicenter, cross-sectional design was used, including patients aged 18 years or older who attended primary care physician consultations at various primary health centers in Toledo, Spain, between October 2020 and January 2021. By means of a non-probabilistic sampling, a total of 150 participants were selected for the study, with 146 of them providing responses to the AMICO questionnaire The level of fear and anxiety associated with COVID-19 was assessed using the validated Anxiety and Fear of COVID-19 Assessment Scale (AMICO). A significant linear relationship was revealed between social class, employment status, and anxiety levels. Specifically, as social class decreased (p = 0.001) and employment situation worsened (unemployment) (p = 0.037), the proportion of participants reporting a high level of anxiety increased. During the second phase of the pandemic, more than half of the patients attending family medicine consultations exhibited a high level of fear and anxiety towards COVID-19, which was significantly associated with lower social class and unemployment.

A systematic review on experimental studies about patient adherence to treatment.

A better understanding of patients' adherence to treatment is a prerequisite to maximize the benefit of healthcare provision for patients, reduce treatment costs, and is a key factor in a variety of subsequent health outcomes. We aim to understand the state of the art of scientific evidence about which factors influence patients' adherence to treatment. A systematic literature review was conducted using PRISMA guidelines in five separate electronic databases of scientific publications: PubMed, PsycINFO (ProQuest), Cochrane library (Ovid), Google Scholar, and Web of Science. The search focused on literature reporting the significance of factors in adherence to treatment between 2011 and 2021, including only experimental studies (e.g., randomized controlled trials [RCT], clinical trials, etc.). We included 47 experimental studies. The results of the systematic review (SR) are grouped according to predetermined categories of the World Health Organization (WHO): socioeconomic, treatment, condition, personal, and healthcare-related factors. This review gives an actual overview of evidence-based studies on adherence and analyzed the significance of factors defined by the WHO classification. By showing the strength of certain factors in several independent studies and concomitantly uncovering gaps in research, these insights could serve as a basis for the design of future adherence studies and models.

Social support, social context and nonadherence to treatment in young senior patients with multimorbidity and polypharmacy followed-up in primary care. MULTIPAP Study.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of nonadherence to treatment and its relationship with social support and social context in patients with multimorbidity and polypharmacy followed-up in primary care. METHODS: This was an observational, descriptive, cross-sectional, multicenter study with an analytical approach. A total of 593 patients between 65-74 years of age with multimorbidity (≥3 diseases) and polypharmacy (≥5 drugs) during the last three months and agreed to participate in the MULTIPAP Study. The main variable was adherence (Morisky-Green). The predictors were social support (structural support and functional support (DUFSS)); sociodemographic variables; indicators of urban objective vulnerability; health-related quality of life (EQ-5D-5L-VAS & QALY); and clinical variables. Descriptive, bivariate and multivariate analyses with logistic regression models and robust estimators were performed. RESULTS: Four out of ten patients were nonadherent, 47% had not completed primary education, 28.7% had an income ≤1050 €/month, 35% reported four or more IUVs, and the average perceived health-related quality of life (HRQOL) EQ-5D-5L-VAS was 65.5. The items that measure functional support, with significantly different means between nonadherent and adherent patients were receiving love and affection (-0.23; 95%CI: -0.40;-0.06), help when ill (-0.25; 95%CI: -0.42;-0.08), useful advice (-0.20; 95%CI: -0.37;-0.02), social invitations (-0.22; 95%CI:-0.44;-0.01), and recognition (-0.29; 95%CI:-0.50;-0.08). Factors associated with nonadherence were belonging to the medium vs. low tertile of functional support (0.62; 95%CI: 0.42;0.94), reporting less than four IUVs (0.69; 95%CI: 0.46;1.02) and higher HRQOL perception (0.98; 95%CI: 0.98;0.99). CONCLUSIONS: Among patients 65-74 years of age with multimorbidity and polypharmacy, lower functional support was related to nonadherence to treatment. The nonadherence decreased in those patients with higher functional support, lower urban vulnerability and higher perceived health status according to the visual analog scale of health-related quality of life.

[Health services utilization in Primary Care in patients with chronic conditions according to risk levels]. / Utilización de los servicios de salud de Atención Primaria en los pacientes crónicos según nivel de riesgo.

OBJECTIVE: Chronic patients suffer a greater number of health problems and have greater needs for assistance and care. The objective was to describe the use of health services in Primary Care in patients with chronic conditions according to risk level by adjusted morbidity groups (AMG) and analyze the associated factors. METHODS: Cross-sectional study. We included patients ≥18 years-old identified as chronic by the stratification tool according to AMG in a basic health area in the Community of Madrid with an assigned population of 18,107 inhabitants. Sociodemographic, clinical-care and use of services variables were collected and were classified according to the "behavioral" model in predisposing, need or facilitators factors. Univariate, bivariate and multiple linear regression adjusted with robust estimators was performed. RESULTS: 9,443 chronic patients (52.1% of the population in the selected zone) were identified, mean age of 57.8 (SD=18.7); 62.1% women. According to their risk level 4.7% were high risk, 18.7% medium risk and 76.6% low risk. The mean number of contacts per year was 14.1 (SD=15.2); 34.4 (SD=27.9) in high risk; 21.8 (SD=17.2) in medium risk and 10.1 (SD=10.2) in low risk. 7.5 (SD=7.1) contacts were with the doctor and 12.9 (SD=12.9) were face-to-face. The factors associated with higher use of services were high risk (Coefficient B[CB]=12.6; IC95%=11-14.2), immobilization (CB=8.8; IC95%=7.3-10.4), polypharmacy (CB=6; IC95%=5-8.6), female sex (CB=1; IC95%=0.4-1.5), number of chronic diseases (CB=1; IC95%=0.8-1.2) and age (CB=0.03; IC95%=0.01-0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The health services utilization in Primary Care in chronic patients is high and increased according with the risk level by AMG. The contact with the doctor is superior to nurse and the most frequent type is face-to-face. The greater utilization of services responds to predisposing factors (female sex and age) and above all to need factors (high risk, immobility, multimorbidity and polypharmacy).

OBJETIVO: Los pacientes crónicos sufren mayor número de problemas de salud y tienen mayores necesidades de asistencia y cuidados. El objetivo de este estudio fue describir la utilización de servicios de salud de Atención Primaria en los pacientes crónicos según el nivel de riesgo asignado por los grupos de morbilidad ajustados (GMA), así como analizar los factores asociados. METODOS: Se realizó un estudio transversal. Se incluyeron pacientes ≥ 18 años identificados como crónicos por el estratificador GMA en una zona básica de salud de la Comunidad de Madrid, con una población adscrita de 18.107 habitantes. Se recogieron variables sociodemográficas, clínico-asistenciales y de utilización de servicios, y se clasificaron según el modelo "conductual" en "factores predisponentes", "factores de necesidad" o "factores facilitadores". Se empleó un análisis univariado, bivariado y multivariante, ajustando un modelo de regresión lineal múltiple con estimadores robustos. RESULTADOS: Se incluyeron 9.443 pacientes crónicos (el 52,1% de la población de la zona seleccionada), con una edad media de 57,8 años (Desviación estándar [DE]=18,7), siendo mujeres el 62,1%. El 4,7% eran pacientes de alto riesgo, el 18,7% de medio riesgo y el 76,6% presentaba bajo riesgo. La media de contactos/año fue de 14,1 (DE=15,2). 34,4 (DE=27,9) en alto riesgo, 21,8 (DE=17,2) en riesgo medio y 10,1 (DE=10,2) en bajo riesgo. De estos contactos, 7,5 (DE=7,1) fueron con médico y 12,9 (DE=12,9) presenciales. Los factores asociados a mayor utilización fueron el riesgo alto (Coeficiente B [CB]=12,6; IC95%=11,1-14,2), el estar inmovilizado (CB=8,8; IC95%=7,3-10,4), la polimedicación (CB=6; IC95%=5,1-6,9), el ser mujer (CB=1; IC95%=0,4-1,5), el número de enfermedades crónicas (CB=1; IC95%=0,8-1,2) y la edad (CB=0,03; IC95%=0,01-0,05). CONCLUSIONES: La utilización de servicios de Atención Primaria en los pacientes crónicos es elevada y aumenta según el nivel de riesgo asignado por los GMA. El contacto con el médico es superior frente al de la enfermería, y el tipo más frecuente es presencial. La mayor utilización responde a factores predisponentes (ser mujer y la edad) y, sobre todo, de necesidad clínica (alto riesgo, multimorbilidad, polimedicación e inmovilidad).