Role of musculoskeletal disorders as concurrent chronic conditions: are they underestimated in the discharge?
BACKGROUND
Differences in recording concurrent chronic conditions (CCs) could change the weight of the influence of the different CCs on health status.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the role of musculoskeletal disorders as concurrent CCs.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study. Discharged patients with CCs were selected by random stratification. Sociodemographic and clinical variables, health status (SF-36), type and number of self-reported and hospital discharge summary CCs were recorded. Relationships were analyzed using linear regression models.


RESULTS
In the 227 patients included, mean self-reported CCs were 6.22 (SD 3.37) and mean hospital discharge CCs were 3.1 (SD 1.95). The most-frequent self-reported CCs were hypertension 48.4%, back pain 40.4%, neck pain 39.6%, and musculoskeletal disorders 38.4%. The most frequent discharge CCs were arterial hypertensive disease 38.3%, all cancers 22.0%, ischemic heart diseases, and angina 15.9%. Musculoskeletal disorders had the greatest negative influence on SF-36 dimensions (p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Musculoskeletal disorders were underestimated in the discharge summary in comparison with those reported by patients.
Department of Rheumatology, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain.
Montserrat
M
Nuñez
Sergi
S
Sastre
Merce
M
Vidal
Margarida
M
Jansa
Esther
E
Nuñez
Jose-Luis
JL
Del-Val
Raquel
R
Ortega
Carmen
C
Hernandez
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001416:Back Pain / Q000453:epidemiology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D019547:Neck Pain / Q000453:epidemiology; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D010351:Patient Discharge / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology