Significance of comprehensive geriatric assessment in clinical practice

Abstract:

Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) is a comprehensive, multidisciplinary clinical assessment that detects, describes and explains the multiple problems (physical, psychological, functional and social) of an older person and examines the capacity and care needs of that person. The goal is to come up with a coordinated and integrated care plan for the individual. CGA, compared to less structured multidisciplinary assessment in which each discipline approaches patient assessment and care plan separately, improves diagnostic accuracy, optimizes medical and rehabilitation treatment, improves health and functional outcomes, informs about the development of individualized care plans, helps avoid possible hospitalization complications and facilitates effective discharge planning. The CGA is based on the assumption that a comprehensive assessment of a frail older person by a specialized health care team can identify different health problems that can be treated, resulting in a coordinated plan and provision of care leading to better health outcomes.

Key words:
comprehensive geriatric assessment; frailty; older people; screening