title: Reliability of a questionnaire for pharmacological treatment appropriateness in patients with multiple chronic conditions.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The original Medication Appropriateness Index was validated for elderly and polymedicated patients, both in hospital and outpatient contexts. However, no studies have applied this questionnaire in patients with multiple chronic conditions. The objective of this study is to assess the reliability of a modified Medication Appropriateness Index questionnaire in a population of patients with multiple chronic conditions.
  
  
  METHODS
  We selected patients with multiple chronic conditions who were included in an integrated care project conducted at the Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío. To determine inter-observer reliability, each professional (internist or hospital pharmacy specialist) applied the questionnaire under the same conditions and with the same resources. To determine intra-observer reliability, each physician applied the tool at baseline and two months later. We measured inter- and intra-observer reliability using the kappa coefficient. The proportion of overall agreement was also determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We obtained a weak overall kappa (k=0.38) for inter-observer reliability and moderate (k=0.52) and very good (k=0.84) values for intra-observer reliability of the internist and specialist in hospital pharmacy, respectively. The proportion of overall agreement is very high in all three situations: 96%, 98%, and 99%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite its limitations, the Medication Appropriateness Index questionnaire modified by our group can be used, as a reliable method, to assess the appropriateness of pharmacotherapy in patients with multiple chronic conditions.
authors: Pharmacy Department, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio, Seville, Spain. mercedesgalvanbanqueri@gmail.com
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Galván-Banqueri
authors: L
authors: L
authors: de la Higuera-Vila
authors: M D
authors: MD
authors: Vega-Coca
authors: M D
authors: MD
authors: Nieto Martín
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Pérez-Guerrero
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Santos-Ramos
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015588:Observer Variation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*