To compare the diagnostic characteristics of two geriatric screening tools (G8 and Flemish version of the Triage Risk Screening Tool fTRST) to identify patients with a geriatric risk profile and to ...evaluate their prognostic value for functional decline and overall survival (OS).
Patients ≥ 70 years old with a malignant tumor were included if a new cancer event occurred requiring treatment decision. Geriatric screening with G8 and fTRST (cutoff ≥ 1 fTRST (1) and ≥ 2 fTRST (2) evaluated) was performed in all patients, as well as a geriatric assessment (GA) evaluating social situation, functionality (activities of daily living ADL + instrumental activities of daily living IADL), cognition, depression, and nutrition. Functionality was re-evaluated 2 to 3 months after cancer treatment decision, and death rate was followed. Functional decline and OS were evaluated in relation to normal versus abnormal score on both screening tools.
Nine hundred thirty-seven patients were included (October 2009 to July 2011). G8 and fTRST (1) showed high sensitivity (86.5% to 91.3%) and moderate negative predictive value (61.3% to 63.4%) to detect patients with a geriatric risk profile. G8 and fTRST (1) were strongly prognostic for functional decline on ADL and IADL, and G8, fTRST (1), and fTRST (2) were prognostic for OS (all P < .001). G8 had the strongest prognostic value for OS (hazard ratio for G8 normal v abnormal, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.27 to 0.52).
Both geriatric screening tools, G8 and fTRST, are simple and useful instruments in older patients with cancer for identifying patients with a geriatric risk profile and have a strong prognostic value for functional decline and OS.
Comprehensive geriatric assessment for older patients admitted to dedicated wards has proven to be beneficial, but the impact of comprehensive geriatric assessment delivered by mobile inpatient ...geriatric consultation teams remains unclear. This review and meta-analysis aims to determine the impact of inpatient geriatric consultation teams on clinical outcomes of interest in older adults.
An electronic search of Medline, CINAHL, EMBASE, Web of Science and Invert for English, French and Dutch articles was performed from inception to June 2012. Three independent reviewers selected prospective cohort studies assessing functional status, readmission rate, mortality or length of stay in adults aged 60 years or older. Twelve studies evaluating 4,546 participants in six countries were identified. Methodological quality of the included studies was assessed with the Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Studies.
The individual studies show that an inpatient geriatric consultation team intervention has favorable effects on functional status, readmission and mortality rate. None of the studies found an effect on the length of the hospital stay. The meta-analysis found a beneficial effect of the intervention with regard to mortality rate at 6 months (relative risk 0.66; 95% confidence interval 0.52 to 0.85) and 8 months (relative risk 0.51; confidence interval 0.31 to 0.85) after hospital discharge.
Inpatient geriatric consultation team interventions have a significant impact on mortality rate at 6 and 8 months postdischarge, but have no significant impact on functional status, readmission or length of stay. The reason for the lack of effect on these latter outcomes may be due to insufficient statistical power or the insensitivity of the measuring method for, for example, functional status. The questions of to whom IGCT intervention should be targeted and what can be achieved remain unanswered and require further research.
CRD42011001420 (http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO).
Abstract Colorectal cancer surgery is frequently performed in the older population. Many older persons have less physiological reserves and are thus more susceptible to adverse postoperative ...outcomes. Therefore, it seems important to distinguish the fit patients from the more vulnerable or frail. The aim of this review is to examine the evidence regarding the impact of frailty on postoperative outcomes in older patients undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer. A systematic literature search of Medline Ovid was performed focusing on studies that examined the impact of frailty on postoperative outcomes after colorectal surgery in older people aged ≥ 65 years. The methodological quality of the studies was evaluated using the MINORS quality assessment. Five articles, involving four studies and 486 participants in total, were included. Regardless of varying definitions of frailty and postoperative outcomes, the frail patients had less favourable outcomes in all of the studies. Compared to the non-frail group, the frail group had a higher risk of developing moderate to severe postoperative complications, had longer hospital stays, higher readmission rates, and decreased long-term survival rates. The results of this systematic review suggest the importance of assessing frailty in older persons scheduled for colorectal surgery because frailty is associated with a greater risk of postoperative adverse outcomes. We conclude that, although there is no consensus on the definition of frailty, assessing frailty in colorectal oncology seems important to determine operative risks and benefits and to guide perioperative management.
Osteoporotic fractures are associated with postoperative complications, increased mortality, reduced quality of life, and excessive costs. The care for older patients with a fracture is often complex ...due to multimorbidity, polypharmacy, and presence of geriatric syndromes requiring a holistic multidisciplinary approach based on a comprehensive geriatric assessment. Nurse-led geriatric co-management has proven to prevent functional decline and complications, and improve quality of life. The aim of this study is to prove that nurse-led orthogeriatric co-management in patients with a major osteoporotic fracture is more effective than inpatient geriatric consultation to prevent in-hospital complications and several secondary outcomes in at least a cost-neutral manner.
An observational pre-post study will be performed on the traumatology ward of the University Hospitals Leuven in Belgium including 108 patients aged 75 years and older hospitalized with a major osteoporotic fracture in each cohort. A feasibility study was conducted after the usual care cohort and prior to the intervention cohort to measure fidelity to the intervention components. The intervention includes proactive geriatric care based on automated protocols for the prevention of common geriatric syndromes, a comprehensive geriatric evaluation followed by multidisciplinary interventions, and systematic follow-up. The primary outcome is the proportion of patients having one or more in-hospital complications. Secondary outcomes include functional status, instrumental activities of daily living status, mobility status, nutritional status, in-hospital cognitive decline, quality of life, return to pre-fracture living situation, unplanned hospital readmissions, incidence of new falls, and mortality. A process evaluation and cost-benefit analysis will also be conducted.
This study wants to prove the beneficial impact of orthogeriatric co-management in improving patient outcomes and costs in a heterogenous population in daily clinical practice with the ambition of long-term sustainability of the intervention.
International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN) Registry: ISRCTN20491828. Registered on October 11, 2021, https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN20491828.
Enhanced recovery programs (ERPs) in colorectal surgery have demonstrated beneficial effects on postoperative complications, return of bowel function, length of stay, and costs, without increasing ...readmissions or mortality. However, ERPs were not specifically designed for older patients and feasibility in older patients has been questioned.
The aim of this study was to assess ERP adherence and outcomes in older patients and to identify risk factors for postoperative complications and prolonged length of stay.
Retrospective analysis of consecutive patients (≥70 years) undergoing elective colorectal resection in a tertiary referral hospital in 2017.
Ninety-six patients were included. Adherence rates were above 80% in 18 of 21 ERP interventions considered. The lowest adherence rates were noted for preoperative carbohydrate loading and cessation of intravenous fluids. Postoperative complications (Clavien-Dindo ≥2) and prolonged postoperative length of stay (>75th percentile) were observed in 39.6% and 26.3%, respectively. Median length of stay was 7 days. The 30-day mortality, readmission and reoperation rates were 2.1%, 12.6% and 8.3%, respectively. Multivariable analysis indicated that polypharmacy and site of surgery were independent risk factors for postoperative complications, while higher age, American Society of Anesthesiologists class and preoperative radiotherapy were independent risk factors for prolonged postoperative length of stay.
ERP adherence in older patients undergoing colorectal resection is high and ERP is therefore considered feasible. Postoperative complications and prolonged postoperative length of stay are common, so at risk patients should be targeted with tailored geriatric interventions.
Background
While the demand for high quality of care in nursing homes is rising, it is becoming increasingly difficult to recruit and retain qualified care workers. To date, evidence regarding key ...organizational factors such as staffing, work environment, and rationing of care, and their relationship with resident and care worker outcomes in nursing homes is still scarce. Therefore, the Flanders Nursing Home (FLANH) project aims to comprehensively examine these relationships in order to contribute to the scientific knowledge base needed for optimal quality of care and workforce planning in nursing homes.
Methods
FLANH is a multicenter longitudinal observational study in Flemish nursing homes based on survey and registry data that will be collected in 2023 and 2025. Nursing home characteristics and staffing variables will be collected through a management survey, while work environment variables, rationing of care, and care worker characteristics and outcomes will be collected through a care worker survey. Resident characteristics and outcomes will be retrieved from the Belgian Resident Assessment Instrument for long-Term Care Facilities (BelRAI LTCF) database. Multilevel regression analyses will be applied to examine the relationships between staffing variables, work environment variables, and rationing of care and resident and care worker outcomes.
Conclusion
This study will contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the nursing home context and the interrelated factors influencing residents and care workers. The findings will inform the decision-making of nursing home managers and policymakers, and evidence-based strategies to optimize quality of care and workforce planning in nursing homes.
The acquisition of geriatric-friendly resources is an important part of adapting emergency department (ED) care to the needs of vulnerable older patients. The aim of this study was to explore the ...availability of geriatric-friendly protocols, equipment and physical environment criteria in EDs and to identify related improvement opportunities.
The head nurse of 63 EDs in Flanders and Brussels Capital Region was invited to complete a survey in collaboration with the chief physician of the ED. The questionnaire was inspired by the American College of Emergency Physicians Geriatric ED Accreditation Program and explored the availability, relevance and feasibility of geriatric-friendly protocols, equipment and physical environment. Descriptive analyses were performed. A region-wide improvement opportunity was defined as a resource that was never to occasionally (0-50%) available on Flemish EDs and was scored (rather or very) relevant by at least 75% of respondents.
A total of 32 questionnaires were analysed. The response rate was 50.8%. All surveyed resources were available in at least one ED. Eighteen out of 52 resources (34.6%) were available in more than half of EDs. Ten region-wide improvement opportunities were identified. These comprised seven protocols and three physical environment characteristics: 1) a geriatric approach initiated from physical triage, 2) elder abuse, 3) discharge to residential facility, 4) frequent geriatric pathologies, 5) access to geriatric specific follow-up clinics, 6) medication reconciliation, 7) minimising 'nihil per os' designation, 8) a large-face, analogue clock in each patient room, 9) raised toilet seats and 10) non-slip floors.
Currently available resources supporting optimal ED care for older patients in Flanders are very heterogeneous. Researchers, clinicians and policy makers need to define which geriatric-friendly protocols, equipment and physical environment criteria should become region-wide minimum operational standards. Findings of this study are relevant to facilitate the development process of this endeavour.
Although 'frequent flyer' hospital admissions represent barely 3 to 8% of the total patient population in a hospital, they are responsible for a disproportionately high percentage (12 to 28%) of all ...admissions. Moreover, hospital admissions are an important contributor to health care costs and overpopulation in various hospitals. The aim of this research is to obtain a deeper insight into the phenomenon of frequent flyer hospital admissions. Our objectives were to understand the patients' perspectives on the cause of their frequent hospital admissions and to identify the perceived consequences of the frequent flyer status.
This qualitative study took place at the University Hospital of Leuven. The COREQ guidelines were followed to provide rigor to the study. Patients were included when they had at least four overnight admissions in the past 12 months, an age above 65 years and hospital admission at the time of the study. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews and encoded in NVivo.
Thirteen interviews were collected. A total of 17 perceived causes for frequent hospital admission were identified, which could be divided into the following six themes: patient, drugs, primary care, secondary care, home and family. Most of the causes were preventable or modifiable. The perceived consequences of being a frequent flyer were divided into the following six themes: body, daily life functioning, social participation, mental status and spiritual dimension. Negative experiences were linked to frequent flying and could be situated mainly in the categories of social participation, mental status and spiritual dimensions.
Frequent hospital admissions may be conceived as an indicator, i.e., a 'red flag', of patients' situations characterized by physical, mental, spiritual and social deprivation in their home situation.
One-third of the community-dwelling older persons fall annually. Guidelines recommend the use of multifactorial falls prevention interventions. However, these interventions are difficult to implement ...into the community. This systematic review aimed to explore strategies used to implement multifactorial falls prevention interventions into the community.
A systematic search in PubMed (including MEDLINE), CINAHL (EBSCO), Embase, Web of Science (core collection), and Cochrane Library was performed and updated on the 25th of August, 2022. Studies reporting on the evaluation of implementation strategies for multifactorial falls prevention interventions in the community setting were included. Two reviewers independently performed the search, screening, data extraction, and synthesis process (PRISMA flow diagram). The quality of the included reports was appraised by means of a sensitivity analysis, assessing the relevance to the research question and the methodological quality (Mixed Method Appraisal Tool). Implementation strategies were reported according to Proctor et al.'s (2013) guideline for specifying and reporting implementation strategies and the Taxonomy of Behavioral Change Methods of Kok et al. (2016).
Twenty-three reports (eighteen studies) met the inclusion criteria, of which fourteen reports scored high and nine moderate on the sensitivity analysis. All studies combined implementation strategies, addressing different determinants. The most frequently used implementation strategies at individual level were "tailoring," "active learning," "personalize risk," "individualization," "consciousness raising," and "participation." At environmental level, the most often described strategies were "technical assistance," "use of lay health workers, peer education," "increasing stakeholder influence," and "forming coalitions." The included studies did not describe the implementation strategies in detail, and a variety of labels for implementation strategies were used. Twelve studies used implementation theories, models, and frameworks; no studies described neither the use of a determinant framework nor how the implementation strategy targeted influencing factors.
This review highlights gaps in the detailed description of implementation strategies and the effective use of implementation frameworks, models, and theories. The review found that studies mainly focused on implementation strategies at the level of the older person and healthcare professional, emphasizing the importance of "tailoring," "consciousness raising," and "participation" in the implementation process. Studies describing implementation strategies at the level of the organization, community, and policy/society show that "technical assistance," "actively involving stakeholders," and "forming coalitions" are important strategies.
PROSPERO CRD42020187450.
OBJECTIVES: To examine how geriatric evaluation and management units (GEMUs) are organized and to examine the effectiveness of admission on a GEMU.
DESIGN: Systematic review and meta‐analysis based ...on literature search of multiple databases and the references lists of all identified articles and by contacting authors.
SETTING: GEMUs.
PARTICIPANTS: Elderly people admitted to a GEMU.
MEASUREMENTS: Quality of the studies was assessed on 10 criteria. The outcome parameters were mortality, institutionalization, functional decline, readmission, and length of stay at different follow‐up points. A random‐effects meta‐analysis was performed using Hedges' gu and variance of relative risk (RR).
RESULTS: GEMUs are organized in a heterogeneous way and the included studies gave no thorough description of comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA). Involvement of a multidisciplinary team was a key element in all GEMUs. The individual trials showed that admission to a GEMU has one or more favorable effects on the outcomes of interest, with two significant effects in the meta‐analysis: less functional decline at discharge from the GEMU (RR=0.87, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.77–0.99; P=.04) and a lower rate of institutionalization 1 year after discharge (RR=0.78, CI=0.66–0.92; P=.003). For the other outcomes in the meta‐analysis, a GEMU did not induce significantly different outcomes than usual care.
CONCLUSION: This meta‐analysis shows a significant effect in favor of the GEMU group on functional decline at discharge and on institutionalization after 1 year. There is heterogeneity between the studies, poor quality of some randomized controlled trials, and shortage of information about CGA. Multidisciplinary CGA offered in a GEMU may add value to the care for frail older persons admitted to the hospital, but the limitations confirm the need for well‐designed studies using explicit CGA and more‐structured and ‐coherent assessment instruments such as the Minimum Data Set Resident Assessment Instrument.
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