Susana Garcia-Gutierrez

Validation of the Spanish version of the Lawton IADL Scale for its application in elderly people

BackgroundThe adequate information about the functional capacity of elderly populations is a key for the comprehensive assessment of their health status and autonomy. The Lawton IADL (instrumental activities of daily living) Scale is a very often used scale to assess independent living skills, but has never been validated for its use in Spanish-speaking populations. The purpose of this study was to assess the validity, the reliability, and responsiveness of this widely used scale.MethodsThe validation was based on a prospective cohort of 1,965 patients aged 65 or over who suffered an accidental fall with a hip or wrist fracture as a result. These patients were followed up six months after the production of the fracture. Cronbach’s alpha was used to assess reliability, and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) for the construct validity. Convergent and discriminant validity were examined by the correlation of the IADL Scale with the Barthel Index, SF-12, WOMAC short form, and QuickDASH questionnaires. Known-groups validity was also studied comparing IADL Scale according to different groups, and responsiveness was assessed by means of effect sizes.ResultsThe mean age was 80.04 years (SD 8.04). The Cronbach alpha coefficient was 0.94. In the EFA, factor loadings ranged from 0.67 to 0.90, and CFA confirmed the homogeneity of the construct. Regarding the convergent validity, all correlation coefficients were higher than 0.40. Significant differences were found according to different groups, supporting known-groups validity. Responsiveness parameters showed moderate to large changes (effect sizes, 0.79 and 0.84 among patients classified as worsened).ConclusionsThese results confirm that the Spanish version of the Lawton IADL Scale has excellent reliability and validity and a moderate to large sensitivity to change. This study provides a proper validation, not only of the Spanish version of the Lawton IADL Scale, but also of the original instrument.

Knowledge of and attitudes to influenza vaccination in healthy primary healthcare workers in Spain, 2011-2012

Annual influenza vaccination is recommended for healthcare workers, but many do not follow the recommendation. The objective of this study was to investigate the factors associated with seasonal influenza vaccination in the 2011–2012 season. We carried out an anonymous web survey of Spanish primary healthcare workers in 2012. Information on vaccination, and knowledge and attitudes about the influenza vaccine was collected. Workers with medical conditions that contraindicated vaccination and those with high risk conditions were excluded. Multivariate analysis was performed using unconditional logistic regression. We included 1,749 workers. The overall vaccination coverage was 50.7% and was higher in workers aged ≥ 55 years (55.7%), males (57.4%) and paediatricians (63.1%). Factors associated with vaccination were concern about infection at work (aOR 4.93; 95% CI 3.72–6.53), considering that vaccination of heathcare workers is important (aOR 2.62; 95%CI 1.83–3.75) and that vaccination is effective in preventing influenza and its complications (aOR 2.40; 95% CI 1.56–3.67). No association was found between vaccination and knowledge of influenza or the vaccine characteristics. Educational programs should aim to remove the misconceptions and attitudes that limit compliance with recommendations about influenza vaccination in primary healthcare workers rather than only increasing knowledge about influenza and the characteristics of the vaccine.

The IRYSS-COPD appropriateness study: objectives, methodology, and description of the prospective cohort

BackgroundPatients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) often experience exacerbations of the disease that require hospitalization. Current guidelines offer little guidance for identifying patients whose clinical situation is appropriate for admission to the hospital, and properly developed and validated severity scores for COPD exacerbations are lacking. To address these important gaps in clinical care, we created the IRYSS-COPD Appropriateness Study.Methods/DesignThe RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Methodology was used to identify appropriate and inappropriate scenarios for hospital admission for patients experiencing COPD exacerbations. These scenarios were then applied to a prospective cohort of patients attending the emergency departments (ED) of 16 participating hospitals. Information was recorded during the time the patient was evaluated in the ED, at the time a decision was made to admit the patient to the hospital or discharge home, and during follow-up after admission or discharge home. While complete data were generally available at the time of ED admission, data were often missing at the time of decision making. Predefined assumptions were used to impute much of the missing data.DiscussionThe IRYSS-COPD Appropriateness Study will validate the appropriateness criteria developed by the RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Methodology and thus better delineate the requirements for admission or discharge of patients experiencing exacerbations of COPD. The study will also provide a better understanding of the determinants of outcomes of COPD exacerbations, and evaluate the equity and variability in access and outcomes in these patients.

Multimorbidity and functional status in community-dwelling older adults

BACKGROUND Multimorbidity is common in older people and may contribute to many adverse health events, such as disability. The aim of the study was to investigate how chronic health conditions (single, paired, and grouped) affect functional independence. METHOD We used two samples (a one-time, convenience sample and a nationally representative cross-sectional survey) of community-dwelling people of 65 years old or over, with a total of 2818 subjects in Spain. To assess functional independence, we used the Barthel index, administered as an interview. Information about the presence of 11 chronic health problems was collected by interview or review of their medical chart. Explanatory factor analysis was performed to assess associations between chronic health conditions. RESULTS Diabetes mellitus and hypertension emerged as the pair of chronic health conditions that most affected functional status [OR 1.98; 95% CI (1.51-2.60)], followed by visual and hearing impairment. A synergistic effect was found (p<0.05) for the cardiovascular disease and hypertension pair. Four multimorbidity groups emerged from the factor analysis: sensory and bone; cancer, lung and gastrointestinal; cardiovascular and metabolic; neuropsychiatric disorders. The neuropsychiatric disorders group was the most strongly associated with physical impairment [OR 4.94; 95% CI (2.71-8.99)], followed by the sensory and bones group [OR 1.90; 95% CI (1.56-2.31)]. CONCLUSION Despite its low prevalence, the neuropsychiatric disorders group was most strongly associated with lower functional status. Analysis of the relationship between chronic medical conditions and functional status could be useful to develop primary health care strategies to improve functional independence in older people with comorbidities.

Changes in health‐related quality of life and activities of daily living after hip fracture because of a fall in elderly patients: a prospective cohort study

The impact of hip fracture because of a fall on health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) and activities of daily living (ADL) have not been well established.

Chronic conditions, disability, and quality of life in older adults with multimorbidity in Spain

BACKGROUND As the population ages, the prevalence of multimorbidity also increases, with consequences to several health outcomes such as disability and quality of life (QoL). This study aimed at analyzing the relationships between chronic conditions, disability, and QoL of older adults with multimorbidity in Spain. METHOD Data on older adults aged 65 years or more, with at least two chronic health conditions were drawn from three cohort studies. Sample size was 705, 443, and 4995, respectively. For each cohort, the impact of the following chronic health conditions was analyzed: asthma, cancer, cardiac, diabetes, hypertension, mental health disorders, osteoarticular conditions, and stroke. Disability and QoL measures varied according to the survey. RESULTS In older adults with multimorbidity, the most prevalent conditions were osteoarticular (59.08-67.80%) and hypertension (50.64-60.03%). The presence of disability was significantly associated to having osteoarticular (OR range: 1.53 to 2.646), diabetes (OR: 1.86 to 1.71), or mental health disorders (OR: 2.19 to 3.36) in most cohorts. Disability (OR: 1.67 to 7.67), osteoarticular conditions (OR: 3.37 to 5.10), and mental health disorders (OR: 1.83 to 4.27) showed the highest effects on lower QoL than the population. CONCLUSION The presence of disability and diverse chronic conditions has a negative effect on QoL of older adults affected by multimorbidity in Spain. Public health and primary care interventions focusing on the integrated care of older adults with multimorbidity might give special attention to mental health and osteoarticular conditions.

Health‐related quality of life and functionality in elderly men and women before and after a fall‐related wrist fracture

To evaluate health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) and functionality among older men and women who suffered a wrist fracture because of a fall and to identify postfracture consequences.

Subtypes of Patients Experiencing Exacerbations of COPD and Associations with Outcomes

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a complex and heterogeneous condition characterized by occasional exacerbations. Identifying clinical subtypes among patients experiencing COPD exacerbations (ECOPD) could help better understand the pathophysiologic mechanisms involved in exacerbations, establish different strategies of treatment, and improve the process of care and patient prognosis. The objective of this study was to identify subtypes of ECOPD patients attending emergency departments using clinical variables and to validate the results using several outcomes. We evaluated data collected as part of the IRYSS-COPD prospective cohort study conducted in 16 hospitals in Spain. Variables collected from ECOPD patients attending one of the emergency departments included arterial blood gases, presence of comorbidities, previous COPD treatment, baseline severity of COPD, and previous hospitalizations for ECOPD. Patient subtypes were identified by combining results from multiple correspondence analysis and cluster analysis. Results were validated using key outcomes of ECOPD evolution. Four ECOPD subtypes were identified based on the severity of the current exacerbation and general health status (largely a function of comorbidities): subtype A (n = 934), neither high comorbidity nor severe exacerbation; subtype B (n = 682), moderate comorbidities; subtype C (n = 562), severe comorbidities related to mortality; and subtype D (n = 309), very severe process of exacerbation, significantly related to mortality and admission to an intensive care unit. Subtype D experienced the highest rate of mortality, admission to an intensive care unit and need for noninvasive mechanical ventilation, followed by subtype C. Subtypes A and B were primarily related to other serious complications. Hospitalization rate was more than 50% for all the subtypes, although significantly higher for subtypes C and D than for subtypes A and B. These results could help identify characteristics to categorize ECOPD patients for more appropriate care, and help test interventions and treatments in subgroups with poor evolution and outcomes.

Impact of clinical and patient‐reported outcomes on patient satisfaction with cataract extraction

To date, factors that influence satisfaction with cataract surgery have not been broadly explored.

Explicit criteria for hospital admission in exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

OBJECTIVE To develop detailed, explicit criteria for determining the appropriateness of admission for patients with exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). DESIGN Using a modified Delphi process, a panel of seven pneumologists and five emergency department (ED) physicians was assembled to establish the appropriateness of hospital admission for 896 distinct theoretical scenarios. To assess the reliability of the criteria, a second national panel of five pneumologists and five ED physicians was assembled. We examined the influence of all variables on the first panel score using linear regression models. The explicit criteria developed were summarised by classification and regression tree analysis. RESULTS The appropriateness of the hospitalisation scenarios increased with the severity of COPD. The kappa of agreement between the two panels was 0.79. Predictors of appropriate hospitalisation were severity of current COPD exacerbation, response to previous treatment and expected adherence to treatment. The panel results were synthesised and presented in three decision trees. Misclassification error in the decision trees, as compared with the panels original ratings, was 6.1%. CONCLUSIONS These explicit criteria can be used to help determine the appropriateness of admission for patients with exacerbations of COPD.