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Evaluation of a guided protocol for quality improvement in identifying common geriatric problems
Sidney T Bogardus1, Emily Richardson, Paul K Maciejewski
1Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06504, USA. bogardus@ynhh.com
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
|May 25, 2002
Summary
A guided geriatric care protocol standardized patient evaluations, identifying more problems and recommendations without increasing appointment times. This quality improvement tool can enhance care for older adults.
Area of Science:
- Geriatric Medicine
- Quality Improvement in Healthcare
- Clinical Assessment Tools
Background:
- Common geriatric problems are often overlooked and inadequately treated.
- Standardized assessment tools are needed to improve the quality of care for elderly patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate a standardized, semistructured quality-improvement protocol, the guided geriatric care protocol, for assessing common geriatric issues.
Main Methods:
- A sequential comparison cohort design was used with chart reviews.
- 100 new patients before and 100 after protocol implementation were analyzed.
- Key measures included problems identified, recommendations made, encounter duration, and clinician acceptance.
Main Results:
- The guided geriatric care protocol significantly increased the number of identified problems (5.51 vs. 3.49) and recommendations (10.45 vs. 8.48).
- There was no significant difference in clinical encounter duration between the groups.
- Clinicians reported positive acceptance of the protocol.
Conclusions:
- The guided geriatric care protocol ensures a standard approach to geriatric problem assessment.
- This protocol may improve problem identification and treatment without extending visit times.
- Further validation in diverse settings could enhance care for vulnerable older patients.