Are comprehensive geriatric assessments useful on discharge from hospitals?

January 01, 0001

Are comprehensive geriatric assessments useful on discharge from hospitals?

Geriatric patients discharged from acute care settings following a brief stay are at increased risk of poor outcome. These UK researchers performed a systematic review examining the use of a comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) in these patients. They searched databases for high-quality randomized controlled trials of CGA use in such a setting.

The researchers found: "five trials of sufficient quality were included. There was no clear evidence of benefit for CGA interventions in this population in terms of mortality (RR 0.92) or readmissions (RR 0.95) or for subsequent institutionalisation, functional ability, quality-of-life or cognition."

The researchers concluded: "There is no clear evidence of benefit for CGA interventions in frail older people being discharged from emergency departments or acute medical units. However, few such trials have been carried out and their overall quality was poor. Further well designed trials are justified."

The available data is limited, but there is no indication of benefit for using comprehensive geriatric assessments upon discharge from short hospital stays.

For the full abstract, click here.

Age and Ageing 40(4):436-443, July 2011 © 2011 British Geriatrics Society
A systematic review of comprehensive geriatric assessment to improve outcomes for frail older people being rapidly discharged from acute hospital. Simon Paul Conroy, Tony Stevens, Stuart G. Parker and John R. F. Gladman. Correspondence to S. P. Conroy: [email protected]

Category: A. General/Unspecified, HSR. Health Services Research. Keywords: comprehensive geriatric assessment, CGA, hospitalization, elderly, mortality, systematic review, journal watch.
Synopsis edited by Dr Paul Schaefer, Toledo, Ohio. Posted on Global Family Doctor 1 July 2011

Pearls are an independent product of the Cochrane primary care group and are meant for educational use and not to guide clinical care.

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