The European general practice research network presents the translations of its comprehensive definition of multimorbidity in family medicine in ten European languages.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Multimorbidity, according to the World Health Organization, exists when there are two or more chronic conditions in one patient. This definition seems inaccurate for the holistic approach to Family Medicine (FM) and long-term care. To avoid this pitfall the European General Practitioners Research Network (EGPRN) designed a comprehensive definition of multimorbidity using a systematic literature review. OBJECTIVE: To translate that English definition into European languages and to validate the semantic, conceptual and cultural homogeneity of the translations for further research. METHOD: Forward translation of the EGPRN's definition of multimorbidity followed by a Delphi consensus procedure assessment, a backward translation and a cultural check with all teams to ensure the homogeneity of the translations in their national context. Consensus was defined as 70% of the scores being higher than 6. Delphi rounds were repeated in each country until a consensus was reached. RESULTS: 229 European medical expert FPs participated in the study. Ten consensual translations of the EGPRN comprehensive definition of multimorbidity were achieved. CONCLUSION: A comprehensive definition of multimorbidity is now available in English and ten European languages for further collaborative research in FM and long-term care.