The focus on life-prolonging anticancer treatment hampers shared decision-making in people with advanced cancer: A qualitative embedded multiple-case study.

BACKGROUND: Implementing shared decision-making in oncology practice is often limited, particularly integrating the patient's context into decision-making. To improve this, we conducted a quality improvement project, CONtext. CONtext attempts to accomplish this by: (1) Integrating the patient's context into shared decision-making during consultation with the medical oncologist; (2) Actively involving the GP and case manager (a specialized oncology nurse), who often have knowledge about the patient's context, and; (3) Giving the person with advanced cancer a time-out period of up to 2 weeks to consider and discuss treatment options with others, including close family and friends. AIM: To explore how persons with advanced cancer and their involved professionals experienced shared decision-making after the introduction of CONtext. DESIGN: A qualitative embedded multiple-case study using in-depth interviews analysed with inductive content analysis. PARTICIPANTS: A purposive sample of 14 cases, each case consisting of a patient with advanced cancer and ideally their medical oncologist, case manager, and GP. RESULTS: Four themes were identified: shared decision-making is a dynamic and continuous process (1), in which the medical oncologist's treatment recommendation is central (2), fuelled by the patients' experience of not having a choice (3), and integrating the patient's context into shared decision-making was considered important but hampered (4), for example, by the association with the terminal phase. CONCLUSIONS: The prevailing tendency among medical oncologists and persons with advanced cancer to prioritize life-prolonging anticancer treatments restricts the potential for shared decision-making. This undermines integrating individual context into decision-making, a critical aspect of the palliative care continuum.

Patient, caregiver and professional views on preventable emergency admissions of older patients, a multi-method study in three Dutch hospitals.

BACKGROUND: Older adults are too often hospitalized from the emergency department (ED) without needing hospital care. Knowledge about rates and causes of these preventable emergency admissions (PEAs) is limited. This study aimed to assess the proportion of PEAs, the level of agreement on perceived preventability between physicians and patients, and to explore their underlying causes as perceived by patients, their relatives, and the admitting physician. METHODS: A multi-center multi-method study at the ED of one academic and two regional hospitals in the Netherlands was performed. All patients aged > 70 years and hospitalized from the ED were consecutively sampled during a six-week period. Quantitative data regarding patient and clinical characteristics and perceived preventability of the admission were prospectively collected from the electronical medical record and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Agreement on preventability between patient, caregivers and physicians was assessed by using the Cohen's kappa. Underlying causes of a PEA were subsequently collected by semi-structured interviews with patients and caregivers. Physician's perceived causes of a PEA were collected by telephone interviews and by open-ended questions sent by email. Thematic content analysis was used to analyze the interview transcripts and email narratives. RESULTS: Out of 773 admissions, 56 (7.2%) were deemed preventable by patients or their caregivers. Admitting physicians regarded 75 (9.7%) admissions as preventable. The level of agreement between these two groups was low with a Cohen's kappa score of 0.10 (p = 0.003). Perceived causes for PEAs related to six themes: (1) insufficient support at home, (2) suboptimal care in the community setting, (3) errors in hospital care, (4) time of presentation to ED and availability of resources, (5) delayed help seeking behavior, and (6) errors made by patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings contribute to the existing evidence that a substantial part (almost one out of ten) of the older adults visiting the ED is perceived as unnecessary hospital care by patients, caregivers and health care providers. Findings also provide valuable insight into the causes for PEAs from a patient perspective. Further research is needed to understand why the perspectives of those responsible for hospital admission and those being admitted vary considerably.

ERASE: a feasible early warning tool for elder abuse, developed for use in the Dutch emergency department.

BACKGROUND: Elder abuse is a worldwide problem with serious consequences for individuals and society. To effectively deal with elder abuse, a timely identification of signals as well as a systematic approach towards (suspected) elder abuse is necessary. This study aimed to develop and test the acceptability and appropriateness of ERASE (EldeR AbuSE) in the emergency department (ED) setting. ERASE is an early warning tool for elder abuse self-administered by the healthcare professional in patients ≥ 70 years. METHODS: A systematic literature review was previously conducted to identify potential available instruments on elder abuse for use in the ED. Furthermore, a field consultation in Dutch hospitals was performed to identify practice tools and potential questions on the recognition of elder abuse that were available in clinical practice. Based on this input, in three subsequent rounds the ERASE tool was developed. The ERASE tool was tested in a pilot feasibility study in healthcare professionals (n = 28) working in the ED in three Dutch hospitals. A semi-structured online questionnaire was used to determine acceptability and appropriateness of the ERASE tool. RESULTS: The systematic literature review revealed seven screening instruments developed for use in the hospital and/or ED setting. In total n = 32 (44%) hospitals responded to the field search. No suitable and validated instruments for the detection of elder abuse in the ED were identified. The ERASE tool was developed, with a gut feeling awareness question, that encompassed all forms of elder abuse as starting question. Subsequently six signalling questions were developed to collect information on observed signs and symptoms of elder abuse and neglect. The pilot study showed that the ERASE tool raised the recognition of healthcare professionals for elder abuse. The tool was evaluated acceptable and appropriate for use in the ED setting. CONCLUSIONS: ERASE as early warning tool is guided by an initial gut feeling awareness question and six signalling questions. The ERASE tool raised the recognition of healthcare professionals for elder abuse, and was feasible to use in the ED setting. The next step will be to investigate the reliability and validity of the ERASE early warning tool.

Teach-back of discharge instructions in the emergency department: a pre-post pilot evaluation.

OBJECTIVES: With the 'teach-back' method, patients or carers repeat back what they understand, so that professionals can confirm comprehension and correct misunderstandings. The effectiveness of teach-back has been underexamined, particularly for older patients discharged from the emergency department (ED). We aimed to determine whether teach-back would reduce ED revisits and whether it would increase patients' retention of discharge instructions, improve self-management at home and increase satisfaction with the provision of instructions. METHODS: A nonrandomised pre-post pilot evaluation in the ED of one Dutch academic hospital including patients discharged from the ED receiving standard discharge care (pre) and teach-back (post). Primary outcomes were ED-revisits within 7 days and within 8-30 days postdischarge. Secondary outcomes for a subsample of older adults were retention of instructions, self-management 72 hours after discharge and satisfaction with the provision of discharge instructions. RESULTS: A total of 648 patients were included, 154 were older adults. ED revisits within 7 days and within 8-30 days were lower in the teach-back group compared with those receiving standard discharge care: adjusted odds ratios (AORs) of 0.23 (95% CI 0.05 to 1.07) and 0.42 (95% CI 0.14 to 1.33), respectively. Participants in the teach-back group had an increased likelihood of full knowledge retention on information related to their ED diagnosis and treatment (AOR 2.19; 95% CI 1.01 to 4.75; p=0.048), medication (AOR 14.89; 95% CI 4.12 to 53.85; p>0.001) and follow-up appointments (AOR 3.86; 95% CI 1.33 to 10.19; p=0.012). Use of teach-back was not significantly associated with improved self-management and higher satisfaction with discharge instructions. Discharge conversations were generally shorter for participants receiving teach-back. CONCLUSIONS: Discharging patients from the ED with a relatively simple and feasible teach-back method can contribute to safer and better transitional care from the ED to home.

Comprehensive Health Assessment 3 Months After Recovery From Acute Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

BACKGROUND: Long-term health sequelae of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may be multiple but have thus far not been systematically studied. METHODS: All patients discharged after COVID-19 from the Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands, were consecutively invited to a multidisciplinary outpatient facility. Also, nonadmitted patients with mild disease but with symptoms persisting >6 weeks could be referred by general practitioners. Patients underwent a standardized assessment including measurements of lung function, chest computed tomography (CT)/X-ray, 6-minute walking test, body composition, and questionnaires on mental, cognitive, health status, and quality of life (QoL). RESULTS: 124 patients (59 ±â€…14 years, 60% male) were included: 27 with mild, 51 with moderate, 26 with severe, and 20 with critical disease. Lung diffusion capacity was below the lower limit of normal in 42% of discharged patients. 99% of discharged patients had reduced ground-glass opacification on repeat CT imaging, and normal chest X-rays were found in 93% of patients with mild disease. Residual pulmonary parenchymal abnormalities were present in 91% of discharged patients and correlated with reduced lung diffusion capacity. Twenty-two percent had low exercise capacity, 19% low fat-free mass index, and problems in mental and/or cognitive function were found in 36% of patients. Health status was generally poor, particularly in the domains functional impairment (64%), fatigue (69%), and QoL (72%). CONCLUSIONS: This comprehensive health assessment revealed severe problems in several health domains in a substantial number of ex-COVID-19 patients. Longer follow-up studies are warranted to elucidate natural trajectories and to find predictors of complicated long-term trajectories of recovery.

Dutch emergency physicians insufficiently educated in geriatric emergency medicine: results of a nationwide survey.

BACKGROUND: Emergency physicians (EPs) provide care to older adults with complex health problems. Treating these patients is challenging for many EPs, which might originate from modest geriatric education. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to assess EPs' self-perceived needs regarding geriatric emergency medicine (GEM) education, factors determining these needs and the utilization of this education. Our secondary aim was to assess emergency department (ED) managers' view and support for GEM education. METHODS: All EPs and ED managers in the Netherlands received a survey by e-mail. The questionnaires focused on EPs' needs in GEM education, EPs' utilization of GEM education and managerial support for GEM education. We used descriptive statistics to analyse needs, utilization of- and support for GEM education. Regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with EPs' need for GEM education. RESULTS: EPs reported to need better training in diagnosing, treating and communicating with older adults. Seventy percent of EPs reported no GEM education program in their hospital, and 83% reported no utilization of GEM education outside their hospital. EPs working in EDs with a possibility for geriatric consultation, and EPs aware of actual GEM education programs, had lower educational needs. Of responding managers, 86.2% reported the care for older adults as an important topic; lack of finances and time were obstacles to provide GEM education for EPs. CONCLUSION: EPs in the Netherlands feel insufficiently educated to treat older adults. ED managers largely recognize this educational challenge. This nationwide survey underlines the need to prioritize GEM education for EPs.

Holding the frontline: a cross-sectional survey of emergency department staff well-being and psychological distress in the course of the COVID-19 outbreak.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has been associated with stress and challenges for healthcare professionals, especially for those working in the front-line of treating COVID-19 patients. This study aimed to: 1) assess changes in well-being and perceived stress symptoms of Dutch emergency department (ED) staff in the course of the first COVID-19 wave, and 2) assess and explore stressors experienced by ED staff since the COVID-19 outbreak. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study. An online questionnaire was administered during June-July 2020 to physicians, nurses and non-clinical staff of four EDs in the Netherlands. Well-being and stress symptoms (i.e., cognitive, emotional and physical) were scored for the periods pre, during and after the first COVID-19 wave using the World Health Organization Well-Being Index (WHO-5) and a 10-point Likert scale. Stressors were assessed and explored by rating experiences with specific situations (i.e., frequency and intensity of distress) and in free-text narratives. Quantitative data were analyzed with descriptive statistics and generalized estimating equations (GEE). Narratives were analyzed thematically. RESULTS: In total, 192 questionnaires were returned (39% response). Compared to pre-COVID-19, the mean WHO-5 index score (range: 0-100) decreased significantly with 14.1 points (p < 0.001) during the peak of the first wave and 3.7 points (< 0.001) after the first wave. Mean self-perceived stress symptom levels almost doubled during the peak of the first wave (≤0.005). Half of the respondents reported experiencing more moral distress in the ED since the COVID-19 outbreak. High levels of distress were primarily found in situations where the staff was unable to provide or facilitate necessary emotional support to a patient or family. Analysis of 51 free-texts revealed witnessing suffering, high work pressure, fear of contamination, inability to provide comfort and support, rapidly changing protocols regarding COVID-19 care and personal protection, and shortage of protection equipment as important stressors. CONCLUSIONS: The first COVID-19 wave took its toll on ED staff. Actions to limit drop-out and illness among staff resulting from psychological distress are vital to secure acute care for (non-)COVID-19 patients during future infection waves.

Experiences of bereaved family caregivers with shared decision making in palliative cancer treatment: a qualitative interview study.

BACKGROUND: Patients with incurable cancer face complex medical decisions. Their family caregivers play a prominent role in shared decision making processes, but we lack insights into their experiences. In this study, we explored how bereaved family caregivers experienced the shared decision making process. METHODS: We performed a qualitative interview study with in-depth interviews analysed with inductive content analysis. We used a purposive sample of bereaved family caregivers (n = 16) of patients with cancer treated in a tertiary university hospital in the Netherlands. RESULTS: Four themes were identified: 1. scenarios of decision making, 2. future death of the patient 3. factors influencing choices when making a treatment decision, and 4. preconditions for the decision making process. Most family caregivers deferred decisions to the patient or physician. Talking about the patient's future death was not preferred by all family caregivers. All family caregivers reported life prolongation as a significant motivator for treatment, while the quality of life was rarely mentioned. A respectful relationship, close involvement, and open communication with healthcare professionals in the palliative setting were valued by many interviewees. Family caregivers' experiences and needs seemed to be overlooked during medical encounters. CONCLUSIONS: Family caregivers of deceased patients with cancer mentioned life prolongation, and not quality of life, as the most important treatment aim. They highly valued interactions with the medical oncologist and being involved in the conversations. We advise medical oncologists to take more effort to involve the family caregiver, and more explicitly address quality of life in the consultations.

Delayed emergency healthcare seeking behaviour by Dutch emergency department visitors during the first COVID-19 wave: a mixed methods retrospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: Emergency department (ED) visits due to non-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) conditions have drastically decreased since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to identify the magnitude, characteristics and underlying motivations of ED visitors with delayed healthcare seeking behaviour during the first wave of the pandemic. METHODS: Between March 9 and July 92,020, adults visiting the ED of an academic hospital in the East of the Netherlands received an online questionnaire to collect self-reported data on delay in seeking emergency care and subsequent motivations for this delay. Telephone interviews were held with a subsample of respondents to better understand the motivations for delay as described in the questionnaire. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Qualitative data were thematically analysed. RESULTS: One thousand three hundred thirty-eight questionnaires were returned (34.0% response). One in five respondents reported a delay in seeking emergency care. Almost half of these respondents (n = 126; 45.4%) reported that the pandemic influenced the delay. Respondents reporting delay were mainly older adults (mean 61.6; ±13.1 years), referred to the ED by the general practitioner (GP; 35.1%) or a medical specialist (34.7%), visiting the ED with cardiac problems (39.7%). The estimated median time of delay in receiving ED care was 3 days (inter quartile range  8 days). Respectively 46 (16.5%) and 26 (9.4%) respondents reported that their complaints would be either less severe or preventable if they had sought for emergency care earlier. Delayed care seeking behaviour was frequently motivated by: fear of contamination, not wanting to burden professionals, perceiving own complaints less urgent relative to COVID-19 patients, limited access to services, and by stay home instructions from referring professionals. CONCLUSIONS: A relatively large proportion of ED visitors reported delay in seeking emergency care during the first wave. Delay was often driven by misperceptions of the accessibility of services and the legitimacy for seeking emergency care. Public messaging and close collaboration between the ED and referring professionals could help reduce delayed care for acute needs during future COVID-19 infection waves.

Personal preferences of participation in fall prevention programmes: a descriptive study.

BACKGROUND: Participation in fall prevention programmes is associated with lower risk of injurious falls among older adults. However participation rates in fall prevention interventions are low. The limited participation in fall prevention might increase with a preference based approach. Therefore, the aims of this study are to a) determine the personal preferences of older adults regarding fall prevention and b) explore the association between personal preferences and participation. METHODS: We assessed the personal preferences of older adults and the association between their preferences, chosen programme and participation level. Nine different programmes, with a focus on those best matching their personal preferences, were offered to participants. Twelve weeks after the start of the programme, participation was assessed by questionnaire. Logistic regression was performed to test the association between preferences and participation and an ANOVA was performed to assess differences between the number of preferences included in the chosen programme and participation level. RESULTS: Of the 134 participants, 49% preferred to exercise at home versus 43% elsewhere, 46% preferred to exercise alone versus 44% in a group and 41% indicated a programme must be free of charge while 51% were willing to pay. The combination of an external location, in a group and for a fee was preferred by 27%, whereas 26% preferred at home, alone and only for free. The presence of preferences or the extent to which the programme matched earlier preferences was not associated with participation. CONCLUSION: Despite the fact that preferences can vary greatly among older adults, local programmes should be available for at least the two largest subgroups. This includes a programme at home, offered individually and for free. In addition, local healthcare providers should cooperate to increase the accessibility of currently available group programmes.

Effects of a geriatric education program for emergency physicians: a mixed-methods study.

Emergency physicians (EPs) often regard care for older adults as complex, while they lack sufficient geriatric skills. This study evaluates the effect of a geriatric education program on EPs' geriatric knowledge, attitude and medical practice when treating older adults. A mixed-methods study was performed on EPs from two Dutch hospitals. Effects were measured by pre-post tests of EPs' (n = 21) knowledge of geriatric syndromes and attitudes toward older adults, and by a retrospective pre-post analysis of 100 records of patients aged 70 years or more. Six EPs were purposively sampled and interviewed after completion of the education program. The program significantly improved EPs' geriatric knowledge. EPs indicated that the program improved their ability and attentiveness to recognize frailty and geriatric syndromes. The program also significantly improved EPs' attention for the older patient's social history and circumstances (P = 0.04) but did not have a significant effect on medical decision making. EPs valued especially the case-based teaching and indicated that the interactive setting helped them to better understand and retain knowledge. Combined quantitative and qualitative data suggest that EPs benefit from geriatric emergency teaching. Future enhancement and evaluation of the geriatric education program is needed to confirm benefits to clinical practice and patient outcomes.

Older persons are frailer after an emergency care visit to the out-of-hours general practitioner cooperative in the Netherlands: a cross-sectional descriptive TOPICS-MDS study.

BACKGROUND: In the Netherlands, community-dwelling older people with primary care emergency problems contact the General Practitioner Cooperative (GPC) after hours. However, frailty remains an often unobserved hazard with adverse health outcomes. The aim of this study was to provide insight into differences between older persons with or without GPC emergency care visits (reference group) regarding frailty and healthcare use. METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive study design was based on data from the public data repository of The Older Persons and Informal Caregivers Survey Minimum Dataset (TOPICS-MDS). Frailty in older persons (65+ years, n = 32,149) was measured by comorbidity, functional and psychosocial aspects, quality of life and a frailty index. Furthermore, home care use and hospital admissions of older persons were identified. We performed multilevel logistic and linear regression analyses. A random intercept model was utilised to test differences between groups, and adjustment factors (confounders) were used in the multilevel analysis. RESULTS: Compared to the reference group, older persons with GPC contact were frailer in the domain of comorbidity (mean difference 0.52; 95% CI 0.47-0.57, p < 0.0001) and functional limitations (mean difference 0.53; 95% CI 0.46-0.60, p < 0.0001), and they reported less emotional wellbeing (mean difference - 4.10; 95% CI -4.59- -3.60, p < 0.0001) and experienced a lower quality of life (mean difference - 0.057; 95% CI -0.064- -0.050, p < 0.0001). Moreover, older persons more often reported limited social functioning (OR = 1.50; 95% CI 1.39-1.62, p < 0.0001) and limited perceived health (OR = 1.50, 95% CI 1.39-1.62, p < 0.0001). Finally, older persons with GPC contact more often used home care (OR = 1.37; 95% CI 1.28-1.47, p < 0.0001) or were more often admitted to the hospital (OR = 2.88; 95% CI 2.71-3.06, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Older persons with out-of-hours GPC contact for an emergency care visit were significantly frailer in all domains and more likely to use home care or to be admitted to the hospital compared to the reference group. Potentially frail older persons seemed to require adequate identification of frailty and support (e.g., advanced care planning) both before and after a contact with the out-of-hours GPC.

Effectiveness of interventions to alleviate emergency department crowding by older adults: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: The growing demand for elderly care often exceeds the ability of emergency department (ED) services to provide quality of care within reasonable time. The purpose of this systematic review is to assess the effectiveness of interventions on reducing ED crowding by older patients, and to identify core characteristics shared by successful interventions. METHODS: Six major biomedical databases were searched for (quasi)experimental studies published between January 1990 and March 2017 and assessing the effect of interventions for older patients on ED crowding related outcomes. Two independent reviewers screened and selected studies, assessed risk of bias and extracted data into a standardized form. Data were synthesized around the study setting, design, quality, intervention content, type of outcome and observed effects. RESULTS: Of the 16 included studies, eight (50%) were randomized controlled trials (RCTs), two (13%) were non-RCTs and six (34%) were controlled before-after (CBA) studies. Thirteen studies (81%) evaluated effects on ED revisits and four studies (25%) evaluated effects on ED throughput time. Thirteen studies (81%) described multicomponent interventions. The rapid assessment and streaming of care for older adults based on time-efficiency goals by dedicated staff in a specific ED unit lead to a statistically significant decrease of ED length of stay (LOS). An ED-based consultant geriatrician showed significant time reduction between patient admission and geriatric review compared to an in-reaching geriatrician. CONCLUSION: Inter-study heterogeneity and poor methodological quality hinder drawing firm conclusions on the intervention's effectiveness in reducing ED crowding by older adults. More evidence-based research is needed using uniform and valid effect measures. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The protocol is registered with the PROSPERO International register of systematic reviews: ID = CRD42017075575).

[Patient reported outcome measures in geriatric care: first experiences]. / Eerste ervaringen met patiënt gerapporteerde uitkomstmaten in de geriatrie.

BACKGROUND: There are difficulties in expressing the value of geriatric care in outcome measures such as recovery or mortality rates. Rather, the goal of geriatric care is to maintain quality of life and functionality. As such, patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) may be more effective in measuring the value healthcare creates in geriatric patients. In 2015 the Dutch Geriatrics Society asked their Committee Quality of Care Measurement to select a suitable PROM for the purpose of measuring the outcomes of geriatric hospital care. METHODS/RESULTS: The goal of this PROM is to measure outcomes of an hospital admission in the perspective of the elderly patient who was admitted to a geriatric ward. A group of caregivers in geriatric care identified four possible PROMs in the literature and based on selection criteria the TOPICS-MDS was chosen as most suitable. To increase the feasibility of implementation in daily practice, an item reduction study was performed and this resulted in a short form: TOPICS-SF. Two pilot studies in three hospitals took place on a geriatric ward. A response of 62% was observed during the first pilot with TOPICS-MDS and a response of 37% was observed during the second pilot with TOPICS-SF. The Katz-15 improved during hospital stay and during one month at home after discharge. CONCLUSION: The TOPICS-SF has been selected as PROM for the older patient receiving geriatric care and is feasible in practice. More research in different settings and with different moments of measurements is needed to evaluate the responsiveness of TOPICS-SF and the conditions for feasible implementation in daily practice.

The predictive value of gait speed and maximum step length for falling in community-dwelling older persons.

BACKGROUND: Falling is a major health problem. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the predictive value for falls of the maximum step length and gait speed. DESIGN: A prospective cohort study. SETTING: Geriatric outpatient clinic. SUBJECTS: Three hundred and fifty-two community-dwelling older persons screened by their general practitioner. METHODS: Maximum step length and gait speed were recorded as part of a comprehensive geriatric assessment. One-year follow-up was performed using the fall telephone system. RESULTS: One hundred and thirty-six (39%) of all subjects (mean age: 76.2 years, standard deviation: 4.3, 55% female), fell at least once, of whom 96 were injured. Predictive values for any falls of both maximum step length and gait speed were low (area under the curve (AUC): 0.53 and 0.50) and slightly better for recurrent falls (maximum step length AUC: 0.64 and gait speed AUC: 0.59). After adding age, gender and fall history to the prediction model, the AUC was 0.63 for maximum step length and 0.64 for gait speed, and for recurrent falls, the AUC was 0.69 both for maximum step length and gait speed. The prediction of fall-related injuries showed similar results. A higher maximum step length score indicated a lower likelihood for falls (hazards ratio 0.36; 95% confidence interval 0.17-0.78). CONCLUSIONS: Maximum step length and gait speed as single-item tools do not have sufficient power to predict future falls in community-dwelling older persons.

Safety, Feasibility, and Reliability of the Maximal Step Length, Gait Speed, and Chair Test Measured by Seniors Themselves: The Senior Step Study.

Self-management of mobility and fall risk might be possible if older adults could use a simple and safe self-test to measure their own mobility, balance, and fall risk at home. The aim of this study was to determine the safety, feasibility, and intraindividual reliability of the maximal step length (MSL), gait speed (GS), and chair test (CT) as potential self-tests for assessing mobility and fall risk. Fifty-six community-dwelling older adults performed MSL, GS, and CT at home once a week during a four-week period, wherein the feasibility, test-retest reliability, coefficients of variation, and linear mixed models with random effects of these three self-tests were determined. Forty-nine subjects (mean age 76.1 years [SD: 4.0], 19 females [42%]) completed the study without adverse effects. Compared with the other self-tests, MSL gave the most often (77.6%) valid measurement results and had the best intraclass correlation coefficients (0.95 [95% confidence interval: 0.91-0.97]). MSL and GS gave no significant training effect, whereas CT did show a significant training effect (p < .01). Community-dwelling older adults can perform MSL safely, correctly, and reliably, and GS safely and reliably. Further research is needed to study the responsiveness and beneficial effects of these self-tests on self-management of mobility and fall risk.

Effect of ED-based transitional care interventions by healthcare professionals providing transitional care in the emergency department on clinical, process and service use outcomes: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: Suboptimal transitional care (ie, needs assessment and coordination of follow-up care) in the emergency department (ED) is an important cause of ED revisits and hospital admissions and may potentially harm patients, especially frail older adults. We aimed to systematically review the effect of ED-based interventions by health professionals who are dedicated to providing transitional care to older adults. DESIGN: Systematic review. MEASUREMENTS: We searched five biomedical databases for published (quasi)experimental studies evaluating the effects of health professionals in the ED dedicated to providing transitional care to older ED patients on clinical, process and/or service use outcomes. Reviewers screened studies for relevance and assessed methodological quality with published criteria (Robins-1 and the Cochrane risk of bias tool). Data were synthesised around study and intervention characteristics and outcomes of interest. RESULTS: From the 6561 references initially extracted from the databases, 12 studies were eligible for inclusion. Two types of interventions were identified, namely, individual needs assessment of ED patients (8 studies; 75%) and discharge planning and coordination of services (4 studies; 25%). Structured individual needs assessment was associated with a significant decrease in hospital admissions, hospital readmissions and ED revisits. Individualised discharge plans from the ED were associated with a significant decrease in ED revisits and hospital readmission. The overall methodological quality of the included studies was relatively low. CONCLUSIONS: Comprehensive assessment of patient needs and ED discharge planning and coordination of services by health professionals interested in transitional care can help optimise the transition of care for older ED patients and reduce the risk of costly and potentially harmful (re)admissions for this population. However, more robust research is needed on the effectiveness of these interventions aiming to improve clinical, process and service use outcomes. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42021237345.

[Preoperative geriatric screening in care path 'AAA']. / Preoperatieve geriatrische screening in zorgpad 'AAA'.

AIM: Determining the added value of preoperative geriatric screening (POGS) in the care path 'Infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm'. DESIGN: Retrospective observational study in a university hospital. METHOD: For patients (>60 years) with non-acute aortic pathology, data on preoperative screening (including frailty measures) and treatment was automatically generated from medical records for the period 2018-2021 (42 months). Data has been analysed with descriptive and test statistics. Completeness of the data was checked manually by reading the medical files for the period 2020-2021 (24 months). RESULTS: A total of 343 cases were included; POGS was performed in 90 patients (26%). In 84.2% of the cases the vascular surgeon adhered to the geriatrician's advice. In the other cases, the treatment is less (10.5%) or more (5.3%) intrusive than the POGS advice; the patient's preference seems to be particular decisive here. The geriatric advice is most consistent with the measures from the Clinical Frailty Scale. From the manual data collection, we learned that about 20% of the POGS were missing. CONCLUSION: Introducing geriatric screening in the care pathway is likely to lead to a more considered choice by healthcare professionals as well as patients. The added value seems embraced by geriatricians and vascular surgeons as the adherence to the geriatric advice is strong. A cardiovascular nurse can use the Clinical Frailty Scale to select the patients that really need a geriatric advice. The advice is to include POGS in the care path 'Infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm' and possibly also in other care paths.