Comparing the prevalence of multimorbidity using different operational definitions in primary care in Singapore based on a cross-sectional study using retrospective, large administrative data

OBJECTIVES: Multimorbidity is a norm in primary care. A consensus on its operational definition remains lacking especially in the list of chronic conditions considered. This study aimed to compare six different operational definitions of multimorbidity previously reported in the literature for the context of primary care in Singapore. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: This is a retrospective study using anonymised primary care data from a study population of 787 446 patients. We defined multimorbidity as having three or more chronic conditions in an individual. The prevalence of single conditions and multimorbidity with each operational definition was tabulated and standardised prevalence rates (SPRs) were obtained by adjusting for age, sex and ethnicity. We compared the operational definitions based on (1) number of chronic diseases, (2) presence of chronic diseases of high burden and (3) relevance in primary care in Singapore. IBM SPSS V.23 and Microsoft Office Excel 2019 were used for all statistical calculations and analyses. RESULTS: The SPRs of multimorbidity in primary care in Singapore varied from 5.7% to 17.2%. The lists by Fortin et al, Ge et al, Low et al and Quah et al included at least 12 chronic conditions, the recommended minimal number of conditions. Quah et al considered the highest proportion of chronic diseases (92.3%) of high burden in primary care in Singapore, with SPRs of at least 1.0%. Picco et al and Subramaniam et al considered the fewest number of conditions of high relevance in primary care in Singapore. CONCLUSIONS: Fortin et al’s list of conditions is most suitable for describing multimorbidity in the Singapore primary care setting. Prediabetes and ‘physical disability’ should be added to Fortin et al’s list to augment its comprehensiveness. We propose a similar study methodology be performed in other countries to identify the most suitable operational definition in their own context.