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Oral Health Assessment by Lay Personnel for Older Adults
Published on: February 2, 2020
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Expert consensus panel guidelines on geriatric assessment in oncology.
A O'Donovan1, S G Mohile2, M Leech1
1Applied Radiation Therapy Trinity (ARTT), Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.
European Journal of Cancer Care
|March 12, 2015
Summary
Geriatric assessment (GA) integration in oncology is suboptimal. This study achieved expert consensus on GA methods and interventions for older cancer patients, guiding geriatric oncology program development.
Area of Science:
- Geriatric Medicine
- Oncology
- Public Health
Background:
- Geriatric assessment (GA) is crucial for older cancer patients but lacks optimal integration into oncology globally.
- Uncertainty exists regarding the best approaches and predictive value of geriatric medicine principles in oncology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To achieve expert consensus on geriatric assessment (GA) in oncology.
- To inform the development and implementation of a geriatric oncology program.
Main Methods:
- A four-round Delphi process was utilized to gather structured group consensus.
- An expert panel participated in multiple iterations to reach agreement on key aspects of GA.
Main Results:
- Consensus was achieved on optimal assessment methods and interventions for common GA domains.
- Disagreement persisted regarding screening methods and age cut-offs for GA.
Conclusions:
- The expert panel defined essential criteria for clinical geriatric oncology programs.
- This consensus provides a framework for improving care for older cancer patients in the absence of definitive guidelines.
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