The Prevention for Elderly Persons (PEP) Program: a model of municipal and academic partnership to meet the needs of older persons for preventive services.
OBJECTIVE
To create a program to identify preventive needs for community-dwelling older persons and incorporate intervention strategies to improve implementation of these services.


METHODS
Program development and case-series.


METHODS
Community-based meal sites, academically administered program.


METHODS
Persons 60 years of age or older attending meal sites and their primary care physicians.


METHODS
Demographic characteristics, self reported preventive health behaviors and services, blood pressure measurement.


RESULTS
During the first 2 years of the program, 927 persons 60 years of age or older were screened. The most common physician-initiated preventive recommendations were: tetanus booster (72%), aspirin prophylaxis (68%), pneumonia vaccination (61%), and colorectal cancer screening (51%). The most common self-care recommendations have been: calcium supplementation (54% of women) and breast self examinations (51% of women). As part of the adherence intervention, we were able to complete health educator calls for 600 (65%) subjects. In addition, the physicians of 599 (65%) subjects were contacted either by telephone (n = 496) or by letter only (n = 97).


CONCLUSIONS
A community based preventive services program can identify large numbers of unmet preventive services needs, and a dual intervention strategy aimed at meeting these needs can be delivered successfully to the majority of participants. Implementation rates of specific recommendations and impacts on health outcomes remain to be determined.
Reuben
D B
DB
Multicampus Program in Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, UCLA School of Medicine 90024-1687, USA.
Hirsch
S H
SH
Frank
J C
JC
Maly
R C
RC
Schlesinger
M S
MS
Weintraub
N
N
Yancey
S
S
D000046:Academic Medical Centers / Q000458:organization & administration; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007373:Interinstitutional Relations; D015141:Los Angeles; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D017146:Models, Organizational; D011314:Preventive Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016730:Program Development; D019037:Urban Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration