[Geriatric assessment in dentistry : A review of chewing function tests]. / Geriatrisches Assessment in der Zahnmedizin : Eine Übersicht zu Kaufunktionstests.

Due to increasing life expectancy and the associated demographic changes, more and more people are dependent on care. To identify a possible need for dental treatment, chewing function tests as assessment instruments have proven their effectiveness. In this article, the reader is given an overview of existing chewing function tests and their implementation. It is important that a patient with pain should be presented to a dentist immediately, regardless of whether a chewing function test is performed. Furthermore, chewing function tests are not a substitute for routine dental examinations, but they could provide information to (dental) laypersons as to whether an appointment should be arranged in a dental practice or whether a dental consultation is necessary.

Patient assessment and feasibility of treatment in older patients with cancer: results from the IN-GHO® Registry.

PURPOSE: Predicting feasibility of treatment in older patients with cancer is a major clinical task. The Initiative Geriatrische Hämatologie und Onkologie (IN-GHO®) registry prospectively collected data on the comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA), physician's and patient's-self assessment of fitness for treatment, and the course of treatment in patients within a treatment decision aged ≥ 70 years. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The registry included 3169 patients from 93 centres and evaluated clinical course and treatment outcomes 2-3 and 6 months after initial assessment. Fitness for treatment was classified as fit, compromised and frail according to results of a CGA, and in addition by an experienced physician's and by patient's itself. Feasibility of treatment (termed IN-GHO®-FIT) was defined as a composite endpoint, including willingness to undergo the same treatment again in retrospect, no modification or unplanned termination of treatment, and no early mortality (within 90 days). RESULTS: CGA classified 30.0% as fit, 35.8% as compromised, and 34.2% as frail. Physician's and patient's-self assessment classified 61.8%/52.3% as fit, 34.2%/42.4% as compromised, and 3.9%/5.3%, as frail, respectively. Survival status at day 180 was available in 2072 patients, of which 625 (30.2%) had died. After 2-3 months, feasibility of treatment could be assessed in 1984 patients. 62.8% fulfilled IN-GHO®-FIT criteria. Multivariable analysis identified physician's assessment as the single most important item regarding feasibility of treatment. CONCLUSION: Geriatricians were involved in 2% of patients only. Classification of fitness for treatment by CGA, and physician's or patient's-self assessment showed marked discrepancies. For the prediction of feasibility of treatment no single item was superior to physician's assessment. However CGA was not performed by trained geriatricians.

Evaluation of geriatric assessment in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia: Results of the CLL9 trial of the German CLL study group.

Multidimensional geriatric assessment (GA) has been demonstrated to predict outcomes in older patients with cancer. This study evaluated GA in a cohort of older patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Seventy-five of 97 subjects with CLL who were enrolled in a clinical trial of the German CLL Study Group underwent GA prior to the start of study treatment (low-dose chemotherapy with fludarabine). GA included cumulative illness rating scale (CIRS), timed-up-and-go (TUG) test, dementia detection (DEMTECT) test and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) index. There was little correlation between CIRS, TUG, DEMTECT or IADL results and treatment toxicity, feasibility or efficacy in this study. CIRS and IADL had no statistically significant impact on overall prognosis. However, under-performance in TUG or DEMTECT test was strongly associated with poor survival. The latter findings provide a rationale to further investigate geriatric assessment in CLL and in the context with other CLL treatments.

Information and communication technologies for promoting and sustaining quality of life, health and self-sufficiency in ageing societies--outcomes of the Lower Saxony Research Network Design of Environments for Ageing (GAL).

Many societies across the world are confronted with demographic changes, usually related to increased life expectancy and, often, relatively low birth rates. Information and communication technologies (ICT) may contribute to adequately support senior citizens in aging societies with respect to quality of life and quality and efficiency of health care processes. For investigating and for providing answers on whether new information and communication technologies can contribute to keeping, or even improving quality of life, health and self-sufficiency in ageing societies through new ways of living and new forms of care, the Lower Saxony Research Network Design of Environments for Ageing (GAL) had been established as a five years research project, running from 2008 to 2013. Ambient-assisted living (AAL) technologies in personal and home environments were especially important. In this article we report on the GAL project, and present some of its major outcomes after five years of research. We report on major challenges and lessons learned in running and organizing such a large, inter- and multidisciplinary project and discuss GAL in the context of related research projects. With respect to research outcomes, we have, for example, learned new knowledge about multimodal and speech-based human-machine-interaction mechanisms for persons with functional restrictions, and identified new methods and developed new algorithms for identifying activities of daily life and detecting acute events, particularly falls. A total of 79 apartments of senior citizens had been equipped with specific "GAL technology", providing new insights into the use of sensor data for smart homes. Major challenges we had to face were to deal constructively with GAL's highly inter- and multidisciplinary aspects, with respect to research into GAL's application scenarios, shifting from theory and lab experimentation to field tests, and the complexity of organizing and, in our view, successfully managing such a large project. Overall it can be stated that, from our point of view, the GAL research network has been run successfully and has achieved its major research objectives. Since we now know much more on how and where to use AAL technologies for new environments of living and new forms of care, a future focus for research can now be outlined for systematically planned studies, scientifically exploring the benefits of AAL technologies for senior citizens, in particular with respect to quality of life and the quality and efficiency of health care.

[Care requirements for elderly cancer patients]. / Erfordernisse älterer Tumorpatienten vor dem Hintergrund der Versorgungsrealität.

The oncology care system is insufficiently directed to the treatment situation of elderly tumour patients. There is a lack of specific studies focusing on the application and effects of antineoplastic substances in elderly patients to forward the utilisation of all available therapeutical options. The reality of care of elderly patients, especially elderly women, is marked by problems of access to the treatment opportunities. Questions of social support have to be raised. A specialised geriatric assessment in oncology can improve diagnostic preconditions in the treatment of the elderly. Restrictions of activities of daily living, comorbidities, cognitive handicaps, and malnutrition are to be surveyed among all patients > 70 years of age. Studies for the systematic involvement of assessments in the treatment routine are necessary. The cooperation of geriatricians and oncologists has to become a more routine process to work out diagnosis and treatment standards for elderly cancer patients. The oncology care system has to meet the challenge of providing adequate care which links specialised tumour treatment with palliative care, especially for elderly patients with advanced tumour diseases.

Integrate, innovate, imitate: surviving and thriving in the world of breast cancer economics.

The pursuit of excellence in the breast care delivery process involves a program of integration, innovation, and imitation designed to yield sustained quality and economic improvement. Many stand-alone breast centers in the United States have adopted this approach and have become financially successful while delivering very high quality care. This article reviews basic economic principles governing breast care as a business enterprise. It then provides recommendations for the development of world-class breast centers that can also deliver financially responsible care.

New tools for cost-effective delivery of breast imaging.

Breast imaging has a deserved reputation as a very difficult financial proposition for hospitals. Regulation, low reimbursement, costly new technologies and staff shortages all combine to create an operational environment that is difficult, at best. While it may not be possible for every hospital to make breast imaging profitable, it is the obligation of every hospital to make this and all service lines as cost-effective as possible. While the typical care episode in a hospital will include several different services or procedures, the breast-imaging patient is typically in the department or breast center for a single procedure. Consequently, all of the administrative and facility costs of the patient encounter must be borne by the reimbursement for the single procedure. Breast imaging involves relatively expensive technology and highly-trained, and costly, technologists in its delivery. The costs of these inputs are relatively fixed; therefore material improvement can only be realized through the redesign of process. Analysis of the process of care delivery is critical to any discussion of the economics of breast imaging. Breast imaging can basically be divided into two categories: screening mammography and diagnostic procedures. This is a very important distinction, because screening mammography requires only general supervision, while the balance of breast imaging requires the direct supervision of the physician. Decoupling the physician from the examination allows the organization of screening delivery programs in highly efficient, high-throughput systems. On the diagnostic side of breast imaging, the primary economic enhancement that can be realized is from the delivery of more than one procedure during the patient visit. Mammography has high fixed costs (technology and technologist) and, where high fixed costs are found, profitability is determined by process and volume. Where process can be optimized to a level that will allow a positive return for each mammogram, volume becomes a multiplier. Responding to congressional pressure exerted in 2001, CMS increased the 2002 payment rate (global) for screening mammography from $69.23 (2001) to $81.81. The increase, however, was a mixed blessing, as it was all in the professional component ($22.18 to $35.48). In fact, the technical component was actually reduced by $0.74 from $47.07 to $46.33. While the reduction in payment for producing the screening mammogram is unjustified by the costs of producing that exam, the hardest blow was reserved for the payment rates for diagnostic mammography. As previously discussed, improving process and increasing volumes will improve the financial picture, but the problem of a single, low, procedure reimbursement remains. The implementation of CAD, however, has the ability to change that reality. CMS treats CAD as an add-on procedure. It cannot be billed as a stand-alone charge, but it is paid when billed in conjunction with a screening or diagnostic mammogram. The implications of the add-on character of CAD reimbursement are disproportionate to the amount of the payment, because it does not have to carry any costs other than those directly involved in its delivery. Breast imaging in general, and mammography specifically, will continue to present a challenge to the radiology administrator. With proper attention to process and volumes, and the very important contribution of CAD, however, breast imaging has the potential to not only pay its own way but to become profitable.