Outcomes of primary care-based Medicare annual wellness visits with older adults: A scoping review.

The increasing aging population creates many challenges for countries around the world. Keeping this population healthy to prevent frailty and functional decline requires a stronger focus on health promotion and disease prevention. Maximization of well-being and quality of life of older adults can occur if determinants of health are addressed and preventive behaviors are supported. Primary care-based preventive visits such as the Medicare annual wellness visit can be used with older adults to enhance health promotion efforts. A scoping review of studies was conducted to identify current evidence concerning the impact of this visit on preventive practices, risk reduction and lifestyle behavior changes for community-dwelling older adults. A total of 11 studies were included in this review. Preventive services use outcomes including vaccinations and screenings were most frequently reported. Visits such as these can provide a platform for development of strategies to provide ongoing support for health promotion efforts.