Komorbiditeettiindeksi

Komorbiditeettiindeksi, often referred to as comorbidity index in English, is a statistical measure used to quantify the burden of additional diseases or medical conditions that coexist with a primary disease within a patient. This index is essential in healthcare research and clinical practice for assessing patient health status, predicting outcomes, and guiding treatment decisions.

The purpose of the komorbiditeettiindeksi is to provide a standardized way to evaluate the complexity of a patient's health condition by incorporating the presence and severity of comorbidities. Various models and scoring systems exist, with the Charlson Comorbidity Index being one of the most widely used. This particular index assigns weighted scores to different comorbid conditions based on their association with mortality risk, summing them into a single numerical value. Higher scores indicate a greater burden of comorbidities and typically correlate with poorer prognosis.

The calculation of the index relies on medical records, diagnostic codes, or clinical assessments identifying conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancers, or respiratory illnesses. It is used extensively in epidemiological studies, health service research, and in clinical risk adjustment to improve the comparability of patient outcomes across different populations or healthcare settings.

While the komorbiditeettiindeksi offers valuable insights into patient health, it also has limitations. It may not capture the full complexity of each condition or account for social and functional factors influencing health outcomes. Nonetheless, it remains a crucial tool for understanding the impact of multimorbidity on health and healthcare resource utilization.

Ultimately, the use of a comorbidity index supports personalized medicine by facilitating risk stratification and enabling more tailored and effective healthcare interventions.