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Integration of Research Methods and Outcome Measures: Comprehensive Care for the Frail Elderly

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 November 2010

Kenneth Rockwood
Kenneth Rockwood
Affiliation:
Dalhousie University
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Abstract

Research measures can be integrated into routine care if they are useful to care providers. Measures will be useful if they facilitate the processes of care, and if the outcomes which they measure reflect outcomes of importance to the patient. Many current measures suffer from being unwieldy for routine use, or not adequately measuring relevant outcomes. In the care of the frail elderly, who have complex needs, these challenges are particularly difficult. The techniques of Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment and Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS) are proposed as means of embracing the complexity of the needs of the frail elderly, and measuring the effectiveness of specialized interventions. GAS appears to meet the current definition of a Health-Related Quality of Life measure, suggesting that its routine use provides advantages both as a management process and as an outcome measure.

Résumé

Les instruments de recherche peuvent être intégrées dans les soins de routine si ceux-ci sont utiles aux pourvoyeurs de soins. Ainsi, ils sont utiles s'ils facilitent la prestation de soins et si ce qu'ils mesurent reflètent des résultats qui importent aux patients. Bon nombre de mesures actuelles sont moins utiles parce qu'elles ne peuvent servir dans le quotidien ou mesurent de façon inadéquate les résultats pertinents. Au plan des soins auprès des personnes âgées frêles, qui ont des besoins complexes, ces défis sont particulièrement difficiles à relever. Les techniques d'évalutation gériatrique complète et l'établissement d'une échelle de l'atteinte des objectifs (Goal Attainment Scaling — GAS) sont proposées comme des moyens d'englober la complexité des besoins des personnes âgées frêles et de mesurer l'efficacité des interventions spécialisées. L'échelle GAS est conforme à la définition de la qualité de la vie de l'instrument Health-Related Quality of Life. Ce qui suggère que son utilisation dans le quotidien offre des avantages tant au niveau de la gestion que de la mesure des résultats.

Keywords

Frail ElderlyQuality of LifeOutcome Measures.Âge vulnérablequalité de la viemesures des résultats.
Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 14 , Issue S1 , Été/Summer 1995 , pp. 151 - 164
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 1995

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