NCT02618291

Efficacy of an Active Geriatric Evaluation for Geriatric Syndromes to Prevent Functional Decline in Family Medicine

Efficacy of a an Active Geriatric Evaluation (AGE Tool) for Geriatric Syndromes to Prevent Functional Decline in Elderly Patients in Family Medicine: a Pragmatic Cluster Randomized Trial

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 429 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of Lausanne · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 75 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

This study aims to test the efficacy of a comprehensive assessment and management tool (AGE: Active Geriatric Evaluation) for geriatric syndromes to prevent functional decline in elderly patients followed in family medicine. Family practitioners will be randomised either to the intervention, consisting of a yearly screening for eight geriatric syndromes accompanied by a management plan in case of positive screening, or to usual care. Level of functioning and quality of life of patients in both arms will be assessed over two years.

Detailed description

The ageing of the population is associated to a rapid increase of chronic conditions and more specifically geriatric syndromes for which the health care system is largely unprepared. Being in frontline of this huge arising burden, family practitioners (FP) will need adapted tools to identify and manage elderly patients with complex needs and prevent functional decline while improving quality of life. It is however well recognized that effective and efficient evidence-based interventions adapted to the primary care setting are lacking. The AGE program (Active Geriatric Evaluation) was launched in 2011 and aimed at developing a comprehensive assessment and management tool for FP's to better identify and manage geriatric syndromes. The AGE tool consists of a 20-minute clinical screening instrument (Brief Assessment Tool, BAT), which performances for identifying geriatric syndromes was already assessed in general practice along the AGE program, and a comprehensive approach that encompasses: complementary diagnostic evaluations and propositions of management \& treatment for each syndrome. The efficacy and efficiency of the AGE tool for preventing functional decline was never assessed in real life settings of general practice. The aim of the study is to determine whether a comprehensive tool combining a brief assessment tool (BAT) for the early diagnosis of geriatric syndromes with a structured diagnostic and management strategy impacts on the functional decline and quality of life of elderly patients. Design: Two-arm open label cluster randomized trial in FP practices, randomization unit: FP Participants and setting: FP's and their patients aged ≥ 75 years in the French part of Switzerland. In total: 40 FP's (2x20) and 400 patients (2 x 200) Intervention: Active Geriatric Evaluation. Controls: Usual care provided by FP's. Duration of study: 3 years (2 years of follow-up). Expected outcomes:functional ability of patients in the intervention arm ,measured through the activities of daily living, will be conserved compared to patients in the usual care arm.

Conditions

• Geriatric Syndrome
• Functional Ability

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Active Geriatric Evaluation (AGE tool)	Yearly administration of the brief assessment tool (BAT). Once the presence of one or more geriatric syndromes is suspected using the brief assessment tool, a management strategy is proposed. It is divided in two distinct steps: 1) perform additional tests to confirm or exclude the diagnosis and 2) to propose specific management attitudes. All proposed attitudes are based on literature review and geriatrician expertise. The FP remains free to follow the proposed attitudes.
OTHER	Usual care	No specific intervention will be provided to the patients, except what family practitioners (FPs) usually do. In this regard, it is possible that some FPs might use structured interventions similar to the AGE tool. This will be neither encouraged nor discouraged. FPs in the "usual care" arm will be asked to perform one BAT after 2 years of follow-up, at the final patient visit.

Timeline

• Start date: 2016-06-01
• Primary completion: 2020-01-31
• Completion: 2020-01-31
• First posted: 2015-12-01
• Last updated: 2021-02-21

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Switzerland