An educational programme for primary healthcare providers improved functional ability in older people living in the community
Q Does an educational programme for healthcare providers in routine primary care improve functional ability and reduce nursing home admissions and mortality in older people?
METHODS
Design:
randomised controlled trial.
Allocation:
{concealed}.*
Blinding:
unblinded.
Follow up period:
3 years.
Setting:
34 municipalities in Denmark.
Participants:
4060 people 75 and 80 years of age who were living at home. 2876 were 75 years of age, and 1184 were 80 years of age.
Intervention:
17 municipalities (2104 people) were allocated to the intervention, which comprised education for all municipality health professionals who conducted routine preventive home visits to people >75 years of age and an introduction for all local general practitioners (GPs) to a short geriatric assessment programme. Twice each year, 2 key persons from each municipality were asked to promote training in the use and interpretation of a standard assessment tool. Visiting professionals were asked to assess functional ability at every visit; tiredness in daily activities was interpreted as an early sign of disability and prompted a search …
