Feasibility of geriatric assessment in community oncology clinics

Emerging results support the value of geriatric assessment (GA) in determining the risk and benefits of cancer treatment in older adults. A brief GA tool consisting of valid and reliable measures has been developed; however, little data exist on the ability to perform the GA in community oncology clinics. The objective of this study was to determine the feasibility of performing the GA in the community.

Patients aged ≥65 were eligible. The GA included a health care provider assessment of performance status, cognitive function, a Timed Up and Go test, and a self-administered patient questionnaire that evaluated measures of functional status, comorbidity, psychological state, social support, and nutritional status.

From 2009 to 2013, 1088 patients were assessed including 339 (31%) from seven community clinics across North Carolina. The median amount of time to complete the patient-report portion of the GA was 19min in the academic center versus 22min in the community. The median amount of time to complete the entire GA was 23min in the academic center and 30min in community settings. Significantly more patients in the community required assistance completing the questionnaire (24% vs. 14%); however, most patients required no assistance (76%).

A brief GA can be performed in community oncology clinics. The time to complete the professional assessments and patient self-assessments were similar in both settings. Future studies are planned to determine if such assessments can improve cancer care for older patients.