title: Operationalizing multimorbidity and autonomy for health services research in aging populations--the OMAHA study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  As part of a Berlin-based research consortium on health in old age, the OMAHA (Operationalizing Multimorbidity and Autonomy for Health Services Research in Aging Populations) study aims to develop a conceptual framework and a set of standardized instruments and indicators for continuous monitoring of multimorbidity and associated health care needs in the population 65 years and older.
  
  
  METHODS
  OMAHA is a longitudinal epidemiological study including a comprehensive assessment at baseline and at 12-month follow-up as well as brief intermediate telephone interviews at 6 and 18 months. In order to evaluate different sampling procedures and modes of data collection, the study is conducted in two different population-based samples of men and women aged 65 years and older. A geographically defined sample was recruited from an age and sex stratified random sample from the register of residents in Berlin-Mitte (Berlin OMAHA study cohort, n = 299) for assessment by face-to-face interview and examination. A larger nationwide sample (German OMAHA study cohort, n = 730) was recruited for assessment by telephone interview among participants in previous German Telephone Health Surveys. In both cohorts, we successfully applied a multi-dimensional set of instruments to assess multimorbidity, functional disability in daily life, autonomy, quality of life (QoL), health care services utilization, personal and social resources as well as socio-demographic and biographical context variables. Response rates considerably varied between the Berlin and German OMAHA study cohorts (22.8% vs. 59.7%), whereas completeness of follow-up at month 12 was comparably high in both cohorts (82.9% vs. 81.2%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The OMAHA study offers a wide spectrum of data concerning health, functioning, social involvement, psychological well-being, and cognitive capacity in community-dwelling older people in Germany. Results from the study will add to methodological and content-specific discourses on human resources for maintaining quality of life and autonomy throughout old age, even in the face of multiple health complaints.
authors.affiliation: Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, D-10117 Berlin, Germany. martin.holzhausen@charite.de
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Holzhausen
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fuchs
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Busch
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ernert
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Six-Merker
authors.forename: Hildtraud
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Knopf
authors.forename: Ulfert
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Hapke
authors.forename: Beate
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gaertner
authors.forename: Ina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kurzawe-Seitz
authors.forename: Roswitha
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dietzel
authors.forename: Nadine
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Schödel
authors.forename: Justus
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Welke
authors.forename: Juliane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wiskott
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wetzstein
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Martus
authors.forename: Christa
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Scheidt-Nave
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015897:Comorbidity; D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D020380:Needs Assessment; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires