Neighbourhood-related socioeconomic perinatal health inequalities: An illustration of the mediational g-formula and considerations for the big data context.

BACKGROUND: Advances in computing power have enabled the collection, linkage and processing of big data. Big data in conjunction with robust causal inference methods can be used to answer research questions regarding the mechanisms underlying an exposure-outcome relationship. The g-formula is a flexible approach to perform causal mediation analysis that is suited for the big data context. Although this approach has many advantages, it is underused in perinatal epidemiology and didactic explanation for its implementation is still limited. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this was to provide a didactic application of the mediational g-formula by means of perinatal health inequalities research. METHODS: The analytical procedure of the mediational g-formula is illustrated by investigating whether the relationship between neighbourhood socioeconomic status (SES) and small for gestational age (SGA) is mediated by neighbourhood social environment. Data on singleton births that occurred in the Netherlands between 2010 and 2017 (n = 1,217,626) were obtained from the Netherlands Perinatal Registry and linked to sociodemographic national registry data and neighbourhood-level data. The g-formula settings corresponded to a hypothetical improvement in neighbourhood SES from disadvantaged to non-disadvantaged. RESULTS: At the population level, a hypothetical improvement in neighbourhood SES resulted in a 6.3% (95% confidence interval [CI] 5.2, 7.5) relative reduction in the proportion of SGA, that is the total effect. The total effect was decomposed into the natural direct effect (5.6%, 95% CI 5.1, 6.1) and the natural indirect effect (0.7%, 95% CI 0.6, 0.9). In terms of the magnitude of mediation, it was observed the natural indirect effect accounted for 11.4% (95% CI 9.2, 13.6) of the total effect of neighbourhood SES on SGA. CONCLUSIONS: The mediational g-formula is a flexible approach to perform causal mediation analysis that is suited for big data contexts in perinatal health research. Its application can contribute to providing valuable insights for the development of policy and public health interventions.

Creating a sense of urgency and provoking action - An example on the use of heat maps to address perinatal health inequalities.

Health outcomes of mothers and their (unborn) children in the perinatal period, i.e., during pregnancy and shortly after birth, can vary by geographical location. This is often due to differences in exposure to medical and social risk factors. Policies aimed at reducing inequalities in perinatal health can provide significant long-term health benefits, especially for (unborn) children. However, a lack of insight into regional perinatal health inequalities means that perinatal health is not always a priority in policy formulation. Novel methods should be used to draw attention to these inequalities, spark interdisciplinary debate and encourage collaborative initiatives. In this commentary, we propose that the development of heat maps that visualize perinatal health outcomes, and risk factors for those outcomes, could be a valuable tool in doing this. Heat maps are a data visualization technique that uses color variations to emphasize value differences between areas. Visualizing health inequalities could potentially create a sense of urgency among (local) stakeholders to initiate polices aimed at improving perinatal health. We illustrate the targeted use of heat maps with an example from the city of Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Large perinatal health inequalities between neighborhoods were visualized in heat maps by a team from the Erasmus Medical Center to bring these inequalities to the attention of the municipality of Rotterdam. Local collaborative initiatives were set up to reduce perinatal health inequalities. These local initiatives formed the foundation for later national policies, including proposals to online implement heat maps regarding perinatal health topics, that are still ongoing today.

Assessment, management, and incidence of neonatal jaundice in healthy neonates cared for in primary care: a prospective cohort study.

Jaundice caused by hyperbilirubinaemia is a common phenomenon during the neonatal period. Population-based studies evaluating assessment, management, and incidence of jaundice and need for phototherapy among otherwise healthy neonates are scarce. We prospectively explored these aspects in a primary care setting via assessing care as usual during the control phase of a stepped wedge cluster randomised controlled trial.We conducted a prospective cohort study embedded in the Screening and TreAtment to Reduce Severe Hyperbilirubinaemia in Infants in Primary care (STARSHIP) Trial. Healthy neonates were included in seven primary care birth centres (PCBCs) in the Netherlands between July 2018 and March 2020. Neonates were eligible for inclusion if their gestational age was ≥ 35 weeks, they were admitted in a PCBC for at least  2 days during the first week of life, and if they did not previously receive phototherapy. Outcomes were the findings of visual assessment to detect jaundice, jaundice incidence and management, and the need for phototherapy treatment in the primary care setting.860 neonates were included of whom 608 (71.9%) were visibly jaundiced at some point during admission in the PCBC, with 20 being 'very yellow'. Of the latter, four (20%) did not receive total serum bilirubin (TSB) quantification. TSB levels were not associated with the degree of visible jaundice (p = 0.416). Thirty-one neonates (3.6%) received phototherapy and none received an exchange transfusion. Five neonates did not receive phototherapy despite having a TSB level above phototherapy threshold.Jaundice is common in otherwise healthy neonates cared for in primary care. TSB quantification was not always performed in very jaundiced neonates, and not all neonates received phototherapy when indicated. Quality improvement initiatives are required, including alternative approaches to identifying potentially severe hyperbilirubinaemia.Trial registration: NL6997 (Dutch Trial Register; Old NTR ID 7187), registered 3 May 2018.

Social determinants of vulnerability in the population of reproductive age: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: The health of an (unborn) child is largely determined by the health and social determinants of its parents. The extent to which social determinants of parents or prospective parents affect their own health depends partly on their coping or resilience abilities. Inadequate abilities allow negative effects of unfavourable social determinants to prevail, rendering them vulnerable to adverse health outcomes. Addressing these determinants in the reproductive-aged population is therefore a key approach in improving the health of the future generation. This systematic review aims to synthesise evidence on social determinants of vulnerability, i.e., inadequate coping or low resilience, in the general population of reproductive age. METHODS: The databases EMBASE, Medline, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library, were systematically searched from database inception to December 2th 2021. Observational studies examining social determinants and demographics in relation to vulnerability among the general population of reproductive age (men and women aged 18-40 years), conducted in a high-income country in Europe or North America, Australia or New Zealand were eligible for inclusion. Relevant data was extracted from each included article and findings were presented in a narrative and tabulated manner. RESULTS: We identified 40,028 unique articles, of which 78 were full text reviewed. Twenty-five studies were included, of which 21 had a cross-sectional study design (84%). Coping was the most frequently assessed outcome measure (n = 17, 68%). Thirty social determinants were identified. Overall, a younger age, lower socioeconomic attainment, lack of connection with the social environment, and adverse life events were associated with inadequate coping or low resilience. CONCLUSIONS: This review shows that certain social determinants are associated with vulnerability in reproductive-aged individuals. Knowing which factors make people more or less vulnerable carries health-related implications. More high-quality research is needed to obtain substantial evidence on the strength of the effect of these social conditions in this stage of life.

Socio-economic determinants of healthcare costs in early life: a register-based study in the Netherlands.

BACKGROUND: Children with low socioeconomic status (SES) have an increased risk of a suboptimal start in life with ensuing higher healthcare costs. This study aims to investigate the effects of individual- (monthly household income) and contextual-level SES (household income and neighborhood deprivation), and perinatal morbidity (preterm birth and small for gestational age ((<10th percentile), SGA)) on healthcare costs in early life (0-3 years of age). METHODS: Individual-linked data from three national registries (Perinatal Registry Netherlands, Statistics Netherlands, and Healthcare Vektis) were obtained of all children born between 2011 and 2014 (N = 480,471) in the Netherlands. Binomial logistic regression was used to model annual healthcare costs as a function of their household income (per €1000), neighborhood deprivation index (range - 13.26 - 10.70), their perinatal morbidity and demographic characteristics. Annual healthcare cost were dichotomized into low healthcare costs (Q1-Q3 below €1000) and high healthcare costs (Q4 €1000 or higher). RESULTS: Children had a median of €295 annual healthcare costs, ranging from €72 to €4299 (5-95%). Binomial logistic regression revealed that for every €1000 decrease in monthly household income, the OR for having high healthcare costs is 0.99 (0.99-0.99). Furthermore, for every one-unit increase in neighborhood deprivation the OR for having high healthcare costs increase 1.02 (1.01-1.02). Finally, the model revealed an OR of 2.55 (2.48-2.61) for preterm born children, and an OR of 1.44 (1.41-1.48) for children SGA, to have high healthcare costs compared to their healthy peers. CONCLUSION: More neighborhood deprivation was directly related to higher healthcare costs in young children. On top of this, lower household income was consistently and independently related to higher healthcare costs. By optimizing conditions for low SES populations, the impact of low SES circumstances on their healthcare costs can be positively influenced. Additionally, policies that influence more timely and appropriate healthcare use in low SES populations can reduce healthcare costs further.

Associations between Socio-Economic Status and Unfavorable Social Indicators of Child Wellbeing; a Neighbourhood Level Data Design.

BACKGROUND: Living in deprivation is related to ill health. Differences in health outcomes between neighbourhoods may be attributed to neighbourhood socio-economic status (SES). Additional to differences in health, neighbourhood differences in child wellbeing could also be attributed to neighbourhood SES. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the association between neighbourhood deprivation, and social indicators of child wellbeing. METHODS: Aggregated data from 3565 neighbourhoods in 390 municipalities in the Netherlands were eligible for analysis. Neighbourhood SES scores and neighbourhood data on social indicators of child wellbeing were used to perform repeated measurements, with one year measurement intervals, over a period of 11 years. Linear mixed models were used to estimate the associations between SES score and the proportion of unfavorable social indicators of child wellbeing. RESULTS: After adjustment for year, population size, and clustering within neighbourhoods and within a municipality, neighbourhood SES was inversely associated with the proportion of 'children living in families on welfare' (estimates with two cubic splines: -3.59 [CI: -3.99; -3.19], and -3.00 [CI: -3.33; -2.67]), 'delinquent youth' (estimate -0.26 [CI: -0.30; -0.23]) and 'unemployed youth' (estimates with four cubic splines: -0.41 [CI: -0.57; -0.25], -0.58 [CI: -0.73; -0.43], -1.35 [-1.70; -1.01], and -0.96 [1.24; -0.70]). CONCLUSIONS: In this study using repeated measurements, a lower neighbourhood SES was significantly associated with a higher prevalence of unfavorable social indicators of child wellbeing. This contributes to the body of evidence that neighbourhood SES is strongly related to child health and a child's ability to reach its full potential in later life. Future studies should consist of larger longitudinal datasets, potentially across countries, and should attempt to take the interpersonal variation into account with more individual-level data on SES and outcomes.

Addressing perinatal health inequities in Dutch municipalities: Protocol for the Healthy Pregnancy 4 All-3 programme.

BACKGROUND: Health inequities are already present at birth and affect individuals' health and socioeconomic outcomes across the life course. Addressing these inequities requires a cross-sectoral approach, covering the first 1,000 days of life. We believe that - in the Dutch context - municipal governments can be the main responsible actor to drive such an approach, since they are primarily responsible for organising adequate public health. Therefore, we aim to identify and develop transformative change towards the implementation of perinatal health into municipal approaches and policies concerning health inequities. METHODS: A transition analysis will be combined with action research in six Dutch municipalities. Interviews and interactive group sessions with professionals and organisations that are relevant for the institutional embedding of perinatal health into approaches and policies regarding health inequities, will be organised in each municipality. As a follow-up, a questionnaire will be administered among all participants one year after completion of the group sessions. DISCUSSION: We expect to gain insights into the role of municipalities in addressing perinatal health inequities, learn more about the interaction between different key stakeholders, and identify barriers and facilitators for a cross-sectoral approach to perinatal health. This knowledge will serve to inform the development of approaches to perinatal health inequities in areas with relatively poor perinatal health outcomes, both in the Netherlands and abroad.

Persisting inequalities in birth outcomes related to neighbourhood deprivation.

INTRODUCTION: Health inequalities can be observed in early life as unfavourable birth outcomes. Evidence indicates that neighbourhood socioeconomic circumstances influence health. However, studies looking into temporal trends in inequalities in birth outcomes including neighbourhood socioeconomic conditions are scarce. The aim of this work was to study how inequalities in three different key birth outcomes have changed over time across different strata of neighbourhood deprivation. METHODS: Nationwide time trends ecological study with area-level deprivation in quintiles as exposure. The study population consisted of registered singleton births in the Netherlands 2003-2017 between 24 and 41 weeks of gestation. Outcomes used were perinatal mortality, premature birth and small for gestational age (SGA). Absolute rates for all birth outcomes were calculated per deprivation quintile. Time trends in birth outcomes were examined using logistic regression models. To investigate relative inequalities, rate ratios for all outcomes were calculated per deprivation quintile. RESULTS: The prevalence of all unfavourable birth outcomes decreased over time: from 7.2 to 4.1 per 1000 births for perinatal mortality, from 61.8 to 55.6 for premature birth, and from 121.9 to 109.2 for SGA. Inequalities in all birth outcomes have decreased in absolute terms, and the decline was largest in the most deprived quintile. Time trend analyses confirmed the overall decreasing time trends for all outcomes, which were significantly steeper for the most deprived quintile. In relative terms however, inequalities remained fairly constant. CONCLUSION: In absolute terms, inequalities in birth outcomes by neighbourhood deprivation in the Netherlands decreased between 2003 and 2017. However, relative inequalities remained persistent.

Clinical research study implementation of case-finding strategies for heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the elderly with reduced exercise tolerance or dyspnea: A cluster randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: Heart failure (HF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) often remain undiagnosed in older individuals, although both disorders inhibit functionality and impair health. The aim of the study was to assess the effectiveness of a case-finding strategy of these disorders. METHODS: This is a clustered randomized trial; 18 general practices from the vicinity of Utrecht, the Netherlands, were randomly allocated to a case-finding strategy or usual care. Multimorbid community subjects (≥65 years) with dyspnea or reduced exercise tolerance were eligible for inclusion. The case-finding strategy consisted of history taking, physical examination, blood tests, electrocardiography, spirometry, and echocardiography. Subsequent treatment decisions were at the discretion of the general practitioner. Questionnaires regarding health status and functionality were filled out at baseline and after 6 months of follow-up. Information regarding changes in medication and health care use during the 6 months follow-up was extracted. RESULTS: A total of 829 participants were randomized: 389 in the case-finding strategy group and 440 in the usual care group. More patients in the case-finding group received a new diagnosis of HF or COPD than the usual care group (cumulative incidence 34% vs 2% and 17% vs. 2%, respectively). Scores for health status, functionality, and health care use were similar between the 2 strategies after 6 months of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: A case-finding strategy applied in primary care to multimorbid older people with dyspnea or reduced exercise tolerance resulted in a number of new diagnoses of HF and COPD but did not result in short-term improvement of health status compared to usual care.

Non-medical determinants of perinatal health: protocol for a systematic review with meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Research focusing on the associations between non-medical determinants and unfavourable perinatal health outcomes is increasing. Despite increasing knowledge on this theme, it still remains unclear to what extent social, environmental and lifestyle factors contribute to these unfavourable outcomes. Therefore, we aim to provide a systematic review, preferably with meta-analysis, in order to provide insight into the associations between non-medical determinants and perinatal mortality, preterm birth and being small for gestational age (SGA). METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Observational studies performed in European countries studying the associations between non-medical determinants and unfavourable perinatal health outcomes will be included. Primary outcomes of interest are perinatal mortality, preterm birth and SGA. To retrieve potential eligible articles, a systematic literature search was performed in the following online databases on 5 October 2018: MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane and Google Scholar. Additionally, a reference list check and citation search will be performed. Data of the included articles will be extracted using a standardised and piloted data extraction form. Risk of bias will be assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. The study selection and data extraction process will be performed by two reviewers independently. Disagreements will be resolved through discussion with a third reviewer. The pooled effects will be calculated separately for each association found between one of the outcome measures and the non-medical determinants using a random effects model. Heterogeneity of the studies will be assessed using the I2 statistic. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: No ethical approval is necessary for a systematic review with meta-analysis. The findings will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42018056105.

The effect of a preconception care outreach strategy: the Healthy Pregnancy 4 All study.

BACKGROUND: Preconception care has been acknowledged as an intervention to reduce perinatal mortality and morbidity. However, utilization of preconception care is low because of low awareness of availability and benefits of the service. An outreach strategy was employed to promote uptake of preconception care consultations. Its effect on the uptake of preconception care consultations was evaluated within the Healthy Pregnancy 4 All study. METHODS: We conducted a community-based intervention study. The outreach strategy for preconception care consultations included four approaches: (1) letters from municipal health services; (2) letters from general practitioners; (3) information leaflets by preventive child healthcare services and (4) encouragement by peer health educators. The target population was set as women aged 18 to 41 years in 14 Dutch municipalities with relatively high perinatal morbidity and mortality rates. We evaluated the effect of the outreach strategy by analyzing uptake of preconception care consultations between February 2013 and December 2014. Registration data of applications for preconception care as well as participant questionnaires were obtained for analysis. RESULTS: The outreach strategy led to 587 applications for preconception care consultations. The majority of applications (n = 424; 72%) were prompted by the invitation letters (132,129) from the municipalities and general practitioners. The effect of the municipal letter seemed to fade out after 3 months. CONCLUSIONS: Outreach strategies amongst the general population promote uptake of preconception care consultations, although on a small scale and with a temporary effect.

Antenatal non-medical risk assessment and care pathways to improve pregnancy outcomes: a cluster randomised controlled trial.

Social deprivation negatively affects health outcomes but receives little attention in obstetric risk selection. We investigated whether a combination of (1) risk assessment focused on non-medical risk factors, lifestyle factors, and medical risk factors, with (2) subsequent institution of risk-specific care pathways, and (3) multidisciplinary consultation between care providers from the curative and the public health sector reduced adverse pregnancy outcomes among women in selected urban areas in the Netherlands. We conducted a cluster randomised controlled trial in 14 urban municipalities across the Netherlands. Prior to the randomisation, municipalities were ranked and paired according to their expected proportion of pregnant women at risk for adverse outcomes at birth. The primary outcome was delivery of a preterm and/or small for gestational age (SGA) baby, analysed with multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression analysis adjusting for clustering and individual baseline characteristics. A total of 33 community midwife practices and nine hospitals participated throughout the study. Data from 4302 participants was included in the Intention To Treat (ITT) analysis. The intervention had no demonstrable impact on the primary outcome: adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.17 (95% CI 0.84-1.63). Among the secondary outcomes, the intervention improved the detection of threatening preterm delivery and fetal growth restriction during pregnancy [aOR 1.27 (95% CI 1.01-1.61)]. Implementation of additional non-medical risk assessment and preventive strategies into general practices is feasible but did not decrease the incidence of preterm and/or SGA birth in the index pregnancy in deprived urban areas.Trial registration Netherlands National Trial Register (NTR-3367).

Targeted social care for highly vulnerable pregnant women: protocol of the Mothers of Rotterdam cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: Social vulnerability is known to be related to ill health. When a pregnant woman is socially vulnerable, the ill health does not only affect herself, but also the health and development of her (unborn) child. To optimise care for highly vulnerable pregnant women, in Rotterdam, a holistic programme was developed in close collaboration between the university hospital, the local government and a non-profit organisation. This programme aims to organise social and medical care from pregnancy until the second birthday of the child, while targeting adult and child issues simultaneously. In 2014, a pilot in the municipality of Rotterdam demonstrated the significance of this holistic approach for highly vulnerable pregnant women. In the 'Mothers of Rotterdam' study, we aim to prospectively evaluate the effectiveness of the holistic approach, referred to as targeted social care. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The Mothers of Rotterdam study is a pragmatic prospective cohort study planning to include 1200 highly vulnerable pregnant women for the comparison between targeted social care and care as usual. Effectiveness will be compared on the following outcomes: (1) child development (does the child show adaptive development at year 1?) and (2) maternal mental health (is maternal distress reduced at the end of the social care programme?). Propensity scores will be used to correct for baseline differences between both social care programmes. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The prospective cohort study was approved by the Erasmus Medical Centre Ethics Committee (ref. no. MEC-2016-012) and the first results of the study are expected to be available in the second half of 2019 through publication in peer-reviewed international journals. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NTR6271; Pre-results.

Geographical differences in perinatal health and child welfare in the Netherlands: rationale for the healthy pregnancy 4 all-2 program.

BACKGROUND: Geographical inequalities in perinatal health and child welfare require attention. To improve the identification, and care, of mothers and young children at risk of adverse health outcomes, the HP4All-2 program was developed. The program consists of three studies, focusing on creating a continuum for risk selection and tailored care pathways from preconception and antenatal care towards 1) postpartum care, 2) early childhood care, as well as 3) interconception care. The program has been implemented in ten municipalities in the Netherlands, aiming to target communities with a relatively disadvantageous position with regard to perinatal and child health outcomes. To delineate the position of the ten participating municipalities, we present municipal and regional differences in the prevalence of perinatal mortality, perinatal morbidity, children living in deprived neighbourhoods, and children living in families on welfare. METHODS: Data on all singleton births in the Netherlands between 2009 and 2014 were analysed for the prevalence of perinatal mortality and morbidity. In addition, national data on children living in deprived neighbourhoods and children living in families on welfare between 2009 and 2012 were analysed. The prevalence of these outcomes were calculated and ranked for 62 geographical areas, the 50 largest municipalities and the 12 provinces, to determine the position of the municipalities that participate in HP4All-2. RESULTS: Considerable geographical differences were present for all four outcomes. The municipalities that participate in HP4All-2 are among the 25 municipalities with the highest prevalence of perinatal mortality, perinatal morbidity, children living in deprived neighbourhoods, or children in families on welfare. CONCLUSION: This study illustrates geographical differences in perinatal health and/or child welfare outcomes and demonstrates that the HP4All-2 program targets municipalities with a relative unfavourable position. By targeting these municipalities, the program is expected to contribute most to improving the care for young children and their mothers at risk, and hence to reducing their risks and health inequalities.

Social inequalities and dental caries in six-year-old children from the Netherlands.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of our study was to investigate the association of different socioeconomic and sociodemographic factors with dental caries in six-year-old children. Furthermore, we applied a district based approach to explore the distribution of dental caries among districts of low and high socioeconomic position (SEP). METHODS: In our cross-sectional study 5189 six-year-olds were included. This study was embedded in a prospective population-based birth cohort study in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, the Generation R Study. Parental education level, parental employment status, net household income, single parenting, and teenage pregnancy were considered as indicators for SEP. Dental caries was scored on intraoral photographs by using the decayed, missing, and filled teeth (dmft) index. We compared children without caries (dmft=0) to children with mild caries (dmft=1-3) or severe caries (dmft >3). Multinomial logistic regression analyses and binary logistic regression analyses were performed to study the association between SEP and caries, and between district and caries, respectively. RESULTS: Only maternal education level remained significantly associated with mild caries after adjusting for all other SEP-indicators. Paternal educational level, parental employment status, and household income additionally served as independent indicators of SEP in children with severe caries. Furthermore, living in more disadvantaged districts was significantly associated with higher odds of dental caries. CONCLUSION: Dental caries is more prevalent among six-year-old children with a low SEP, which is also visible at the district level. Maternal educational level is the most important indicator of SEP in the association with caries. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Our results should raise concerns about the existing social inequalities in dental caries and should encourage development of dental caries prevention strategies. New knowledge about the distribution of oral health inequalities between districts should be used to target the right audience for these strategies.

Triage of frail elderly with reduced exercise tolerance in primary care (TREE). A clustered randomized diagnostic study.

BACKGROUND: Exercise reduced tolerance and breathlessness are common in the elderly and can result in substantial loss in functionality and health related quality of life. Heart failure (HF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are common underlying causes, but can be difficult to disentangle due to overlap in symptomatology. In addition, other potential causes such as obesity, anaemia, renal dysfunction and thyroid disorders may be involved.We aim to assess whether screening of frail elderly with reduced exercise tolerance leads to high detection rates of HF, COPD, or alternative diagnoses, and whether detection of these diseases would result in changes in patient management and increase in both functionality and quality of life. METHODS/DESIGN: A cluster randomized diagnostic trial. Primary care practices are randomized to the diagnostic-treatment strategy (screening) or care as usual. PATIENT POPULATION: Frail (defined as having three or more chronic or vitality threatening diseases and/or receiving five or more drugs chronically during the last year) community-dwelling persons aged 65 years and older selected from the electronic medical files of the participating general practitioners. Those with reduced exercise tolerance or moderate to severe dyspnoea (≥2 score on the Medical Research Counsel dyspnoea scale) are included in the study.The diagnostic screening in the intervention group includes history taking, physical examination, electrocardiography, spirometry, blood tests, and echocardiography. Subsequently, participants with new diagnoses will be managed according to clinical guidelines. Participants in the control arm receive care as usual. All participants fill out health status and other relevant questionnaires at baseline and after 6 months of follow-up. DISCUSSION: This study will generate information on the yield of screening for previously unrecognized HF, COPD and other chronic diseases in frail elderly with reduced exercise tolerance and/or exercise induced dyspnoea. The cluster randomized comparison will reveal whether this yield will result in subsequent improvements in functional health and/or health related quality of life. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01148719.