Preventive health risk appraisal for older people and impact on GPs' patient management: a prospective study.
BACKGROUND
Health risk appraisals (HRAs) are recommended for detection of potentially modifiable risk factors for health status decline of older people. Little is known how family physicians manage detected risk factors.


OBJECTIVE
We evaluated (i) if risk factors in one or more of five predefined domains were detected in a primary care-based HRA and (ii) how often these findings had an impact on the further management of patients.


METHODS
We performed a prospective observational study in a rural community in Austria and included persons (age >or= 70 years) living at home. We applied the standardized assessment for elderly people in primary care (STEP) instrument and evaluated risk factors for status decline assessing five domains (cognitive function, depression, urinary incontinence, hearing impairment and mobility/falls).


RESULTS
Two hundred and sixty-four persons participated and the HRA revealed a wide range of risk factors for health status decline [from 4.5% (12/264) in the depression domain up to 31% (81/264) for mobility/falls and 41% (107/264) in the cognitive domain]. The findings had an impact on the further management in four domains: hearing impairment (100% of findings with impact), mobility/falls (93%), depression (83%) and urinary incontinence (65%). In contrast, abnormal cognitive findings lead to action only in every fifth participant (18%; 19/107).


CONCLUSIONS
In contrast to other domains, family physicians are hesitant to act upon abnormal findings of cognitive testing. Additional knowledge is needed to clarify the value of abnormal cognitive findings for management of patients and support of their carers.
Eichler
Klaus
K
Horten Centre, University Hospital of Zurich, CH-8091 Zurich, Switzerland.
Scrabal
Clemens
C
Steurer
Johann
J
Mann
Eva
E
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001317:Austria; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019370:Observation; D010346:Patient Care Management / Q000379:methods*; D010821:Physicians, Family; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors