Informational yield of comprehensive Geriatric Home Assessment.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to compare the relative informational yield of Geriatric Home Assessments with medical charts of patients seen in family practice settings.


METHODS
The information from comprehensive Geriatric Home Assessments of 28 well-established patients, conducted by small groups of medical students in a family practice clerkship, was compared with information available in the medical charts of these patients for the previous three years.


RESULTS
For no problem studied was identification in the medical chart as high as from the Geriatric Home Assessment. Problems with family/social support, inadequate dental care, and immunization deficiencies were frequently noted in the Geriatric Home Assessment but only rarely in the medical chart. Concordance between Geriatric Home Assessment and medical charts was greatest for depression/anxiety, sensory loss, smoking, dizziness, and sleep problems.


CONCLUSIONS
While evaluation of the utilization of information was beyond the scope of the current study, the results suggest the potential usefulness of complementing office care with home assessments in establishing a data base for the medical management of elderly patients in primary care settings.
Lemkau
J P
JP
Department of Family Practice, Wright State University.
Martin
A M
AM
Olsen
C G
CG
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002982:Clinical Clerkship; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005194:Family Practice / Q000193:education; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006792:House Calls; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D011996:Records; D012449:Safety