[Geriatric assessment tools in Spanish Geriatric Departments]

Abstract

Introduction: Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) is the main measurement tool used by Geriatricians. A 2000 survey demonstrated great variability in the tools used for CGA among Spanish Geriatric Departments. A new survey to detect 13-year trends in the use of CGA tools in our country is presented.

Material and methods: Descriptive study using a structured questionnaire on the use of CGA tools in different levels of care sent to the Heads of 39 Spanish Geriatric Departments or Services (27 with postgraduate teaching in Geriatrics) during the first three months of 2013.

Results: The response rate was 97.4%. It was found that 78.4% (29 centers) used different tools depending on the level of care. Barthel and Lawton index were the most used functional assessment tools in all Departments and across all geriatric levels, although gait speed and Tinetti scale were frequently used in Day Hospital and Outpatient clinics. The Mini Mental State Exam and its Spanish version Mini Examen Cognoscitivo were the most used mental scales (97.4%), followed by tools for assessing depression-behavior (86.8%) and severity of cognitive impairment tools (84.2%). CGA tools were used in 43.2% of the emergency departments of the hospitals surveyed, being the most frequent. More than two-thirds (69.4%) of the Departments reported that their affiliated Primary Care centers used CGA tools, with the Barthel and Lawton again being indexes the most used. Most of the responding Departments considered that the main domains of CGA are functional, mental and social status. Nutrition, comorbidity, falls and pressure ulcers are other important domains.

Conclusions: There is still a great variability in the CGA tools being used in Spanish Geriatric Departments, although there is a trend towards a greater use of Barthel index, greater adaptation of tools to each level of care, and increasing assessment of new domains like frailty, nutrition or comorbidity.

Keywords: Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment; Geriatric Departments; Herramientas; Levels of care; Niveles asistenciales; Servicios de Geriatría; Tools; Valoración geriátrica.