Brief Geriatric Assessment (BGA): An evidence-based tool for improving care of older adults

The Brief Geriatric Assessment is an approach for rapidly identifying high-risk older adults and guiding timely interventions in busy clinical settings. Unlike the Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment, albeit the gold standard, which is resource-intensive, the Brief Geriatric Assessment offers a scalable alternative by using validated, time-efficient tools to screen for common geriatric syndromes. This narrative state-of-the-art review synthesizes the evidence and best practices regarding the concept, structure, and clinical application of the Brief Geriatric Assessment. It compares the Brief Geriatric Assessment and Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment from theoretical and practical perspectives and outlines how the former can be integrated into healthcare settings, with a focus on its potential utility within the Saudi healthcare system in the context of population aging and health system transformation. The review findings suggest that the Brief Geriatric Assessment should be more broadly adopted to improve the quality and efficiency of care for older adults.