BACKGROUND: General practitioners (GPs) are responsible for most of elderly consultations in Brazil. Being aware of the needs of older adults is important for these professionals. A comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) is an important tool for assessing the elderly. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate (a) whether a CGA can identify previously unknown health problems, and (b) whether a CGA is accepted by elderly patients. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study by inviting all outpatients of the Sao Paulo Air Force Hospital aged 60 years and older to participate. Consenting patients were examined using a CGA. Health problems revealed by the assessment were compared to those previously known from the patients' charts. Patients' acceptability of the CGA was evaluated by a short questionnaire. RESULTS: 170 patients were included in the final analysis. Mean age was 75.7 years (SD: 8.0 years), 65.8% was female. On average, patients had 3.2 (SD: 1.9) geriatric problems gleaned from their charts and 9.0 (SD: 3.2) revealed by CGA. The most common health problems disclosed by the CGA were pneumococcal vaccination more than 3 years earlier, followed by sleep disorder, sedentarism, urinary incontinence, fall risk and cognitive impairment. The mean duration of CGA was 52 min and patient acceptability was high. CONCLUSION: The present study using the CGA in a population of patients aged 60 and above disclosed, on average, 6 medical problems previously unknown to the GP. The acceptability by patients was good.
BACKGROUND: General practitioners (GPs) are responsible for most of elderly consultations in Brazil. Being aware of the needs of older adults is important for these professionals. A comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) is an important tool for assessing the elderly. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate (a) whether a CGA can identify previously unknown health problems, and (b) whether a CGA is accepted by elderly patients. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study by inviting all outpatients of the Sao Paulo Air Force Hospital aged 60 years and older to participate. Consenting patients were examined using a CGA. Health problems revealed by the assessment were compared to those previously known from the patients' charts. Patients' acceptability of the CGA was evaluated by a short questionnaire. RESULTS: 170 patients were included in the final analysis. Mean age was 75.7 years (SD: 8.0 years), 65.8% was female. On average, patients had 3.2 (SD: 1.9) geriatric problems gleaned from their charts and 9.0 (SD: 3.2) revealed by CGA. The most common health problems disclosed by the CGA were pneumococcal vaccination more than 3 years earlier, followed by sleep disorder, sedentarism, urinary incontinence, fall risk and cognitive impairment. The mean duration of CGA was 52 min and patient acceptability was high. CONCLUSION: The present study using the CGA in a population of patients aged 60 and above disclosed, on average, 6 medical problems previously unknown to the GP. The acceptability by patients was good.
Authors: Olga N Tkacheva; Nadezda K Runikhina; Valentina S Ostapenko; Natalia V Sharashkina; Elen A Mkhitaryan; Julia S Onuchina; Sergei N Lysenkov; Nikolai N Yakhno; Yan Press Journal: Clin Interv Aging Date: 2018-02-09 Impact factor: 4.458
Authors: Giancarlo Lucchetti; Alessandra L G Lucchetti; Mario F P Peres; Alexander Moreira-Almeida; Harold G Koenig Journal: ISRN Psychiatry Date: 2012-08-09