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Target groups for screening elderly outpatients
1Department of Family Medicine, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick.
American Journal of Preventive Medicine
|January 1, 1988
Summary
Comprehensive health screenings in older adults detected many unknown conditions. However, a selective screening approach is more effective than unfocused assessments for this demographic.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Preventive Medicine
- Diagnostic Medicine
Background:
- Older adults are a key demographic for preventive health strategies.
- Current screening guidelines vary in their comprehensiveness and detection rates.
- Identifying undiagnosed conditions in this age group is crucial for public health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the yield of comprehensive health screening in a low-risk group of older adults.
- To compare the detection rates of different screening approaches.
- To determine the optimal screening strategy for individuals aged 64-71.
Main Methods:
- Recruitment of 475 community-dwelling individuals aged 64-71.
- Administration of comprehensive screening assessments.
- Analysis of detected medical conditions and laboratory abnormalities against established screening criteria.
Main Results:
- 404 unknown/untreated medical conditions were found in 74.5% of participants.
- Less than 5% of these conditions would be identified by conservative screening protocols.
- A more liberal screening approach identified conditions in >=5% of participants, with 43% of abnormalities on liberal-screened tests.
Conclusions:
- Unfocused, comprehensive screening is not recommended for this age group.
- A selective screening package is supported for detecting medical conditions in older adults.
- Targeted screening optimizes resource allocation and clinical utility.