Journal Article

Health outcomes and implementation barriers and facilitators of comprehensive geriatric assessment in community settings: a systematic integrative review PROSPERO registration no.: CRD42021229953

Nai, Ze Ling, Sum, Grace, Nicholas, Sean Olivia, Ding, Yew Yoong, Tan, Woan Shin

2022

Overview

Background Comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) addresses the bio-psycho-social needs of older adults through multidimensional assessments and management. Synthesising evidence on quantitative health outcomes and implementation barriers and facilitators would inform practice and policy on CGA for community-dwelling older adults. Methods We systematically searched four medical and social sciences electronic databases for quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods studies published from 1 January 2000 to 31 October 2020. Due to heterogeneity of articles, we narratively reviewed the synthesis of evidence on health outcomes and implementation barriers and facilitators. Results We screened 14,151 titles and abstracts and 203 full text articles, and included 43 selected articles. Study designs included controlled intervention studies ( n  = 31), pre-post studies without controls ( n  = 4), case-control ( n  = 1), qualitative methods ( n  = 3), and mixed methods ( n  = 4). A majority of articles studied populations aged ≥75 years ( n  = 18, 42%). CGAs were most frequently conducted in the home ( n  = 25, 58%) and primary care settings ( n  = 8, 19%). CGAs were conducted by nurses in most studies ( n  = 22, 51%). There was evidence of improved functional status (5 of 19 RCTs, 2 of 3 pre-post), frailty and fall outcomes (3 of 6 RCTs, 1 of 1 pre-post), mental health outcomes (3 of 6 RCTs, 2 of 2 pre-post), self-rated health (1 of 6 RCTs, 1 of 1 pre-post), and quality of life (4 of 17 RCTs, 3 of 3 pre-post). Barriers to implementation of CGAs involved a lack of partnership alignment and feedback, poor acceptance of preventive work, and challenges faced by providers in operationalising and optimising CGAs. The perceived benefits of CGA that served to facilitate its implementation included the use of highly skilled staff to provide holistic assessments and patient education, and the resultant improvements in care coordination and convenience to the patients, particularly where home-based assessments and management were performed. Conclusion There is mixed evidence on the quantitative health outcomes of CGA on community-dwelling older adults. While there is perceived positive value from CGA when carried out by highly skilled staff, barriers such as bringing providers into a partnership, greater acceptance of preventive care, and operational issues could impede its implementation.

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Springer Nature B.V,BMC
• Subject: Accidental Falls - prevention & control / Aged / Aging / Ambulatory care / Chronic illnesses / Continuity of care / Demographic aspects / Frailty / Functional status / Geriatric Assessment / Geriatrics / Geriatrics/Gerontology / Health care / Hospitals / Humans / Independent Living / Intervention / Medicine / Medicine & Public Health / Mortality / Needs assessment / Older people / Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Patients / Population / Population studies / Primary care / Qualitative implementation barriers and facilitators / Quality of Life / Rehabilitation / Social aspects / Systematic integrative review / Systematic review / Treatment outcome