Study protocol of a randomized clinical trial evaluating the effectiveness of a primary care intervention using the Nintendo™ Wii console to improve balance and decrease falls in the elderly.

BACKGROUND: Balance alteration is a risk factor for falls in elderly individuals that has physical, psychological and economic consequences. The objectives of this study are to evaluate the usefulness of an intervention utilizing the Nintendo™ Wii console in order to improve balance, thereby decreasing both the fear of falling as well as the number of falls, and to evaluate the correlation between balance as determined by the console and the value obtained in the Tinetti tests and the one foot stationary test. METHODS/DESIGN: This is a controlled, randomized clinical trial of individual assignment, carried out on patients over 70 years in age, from five primary care centers in the city of Mataró (Barcelona). 380 patients were necessary for the intervention group that carried out the balance board exercises in 2 sessions per week for a 3 month period, and 380 patients in the control group who carried out their usual habits. Balance was evaluated using the Tinetti test, the one foot stationary test and with the console, at the start of the study, at the end of the intervention (3 months) and one year later. Quarterly telephone follow-up was also conducted to keep track of falls and their consequences. DISCUSSION: The study aimed to connect the community with a technology that may be an easy and fun way to assist the elderly in improving their balance without the need to leave home or join rehabilitation groups, offering greater comfort for this population and decreasing healthcare costs since there is no need for specialized personnel. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Current Control Trial NCT02570178.

[Randomized clinical trial on the efficacy of global geriatric assessment in primary care]. / Ensayo clínico aleatorizado sobre la eficacia de la valoración geriátrica integral seguida de intervención en atención primaria.

OBJECTIVE: the family doctor is in a unique position to prevent complications in the elderly population. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a multifactorial intervention in reducing morbidity and mortality after a global geriatric assessment (GGA) was performed. MATERIAL AND METHODS: a randomized clinical trial with a control group was carried out in elderly patients aged more than 75 years old visited in the primary care setting over a 18-month period. An individualized intervention was applied to all patients in the intervention group (IG) identified as frail by the GGA. A group session was offered to the remaining patients in the IG. RESULTS: there were 620 participants: 49.7% were randomized to the IG and 50.3% to the control group (CG). Follow-up was completed by 430 (69.4%) participants. At the end of the study, the CG showed a significantly greater risk of depression (Yesavage) than the IG (P=.048). During the follow-up, 13% of the IG and 5% of the CG changed their initial status of frailty to one of non-frailty, while 11% of the IG and 22% of the CG were newly diagnosed as frail (P< .001). The total number of events (nursing home admission, home visits, deaths) was 15% in the IG and 17% in the CG (P=.64). CONCLUSIONS: the intervention proved to be effective in containing the number of patients newly diagnosed as frail and in increasing the number of participants who reversed their status from frail to non-frail during the follow-up. GGA is effective if used in conjunction with an intervention.

Ensayo clínico aleatorizado sobre la eficacia de la valoración geriátrica integral seguida de intervención en atención primaria / Randomized clinical trial on the efficacy of global geriatric assessment followed by intervention in primary care

Objetivo: el médico de familia es el primer profesional de salud que puede actuar preventivamente sobre la población anciana de riesgo. El objetivo de este estudio es evaluar la eficacia de una intervención multifactorial tras la valoración geriátrica integral (VGI) en términos de morbimortalidad. Material y métodos: ensayo clínico aleatorizado, con grupo control (GC), en personas mayores de 75 años visitadas en las consultas de un centro de atención primaria durante un período de 18 meses. Según la VGI, se clasificó al anciano como frágil o no; en el grupo de intervención (GI) los pacientes frágiles recibieron una intervención personalizada, mientras que a los no frágiles se les ofreció participar en una sesión grupal. Resultados: participaron en el estudio 620 sujetos, el 49,7% aleatorizados al GI y el 50,3% al GC. Realizaron la visita de seguimiento 430 (69,4%) pacientes. En la visita final, los pacientes del GC mostraron un riesgo significativamente superior de depresión (Yesavage) que el GI (p = 0,048). Durante el seguimiento, el 13% del GI modificó su estado inicial de frágiles a no frágiles frente al 5% del GC, mientras que el 11% del GI pasó a ser nuevos pacientes frágiles frente al 22% del GC (p < 0,001). Se registró un 15% de eventos (ingreso en residencia, atención domiciliaria o defunción) en el GI frente a un 17% en el GC (p = 0,64). Conclusiones: la intervención se mostró efectiva al contener el número de pacientes frágiles de nuevo diagnóstico y al aumentar el número de pacientes que revirtieron el proceso en el GI durante el seguimiento. La VGI resulta efectiva si se asocia a una intervención

Objective: the family doctor is in a unique position to prevent complications in the elderly population. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a multifactorial intervention in reducing morbidity and mortality after a global geriatric assessment (GGA) was performed. Material and methods: a randomized clinical trial with a control group was carried out in elderly patients aged more than 75 years old visited in the primary care setting over a 18-month period. An individualized intervention was applied to all patients in the intervention group (IG) identified as frail by the GGA. A group session was offered to the remaining patients in the IG. Results: there were 620 participants: 49.7% were randomized to the IG and 50.3% to the control group (CG). Follow-up was completed by 430 (69.4%) participants. At the end of the study, the CG showed a significantly greater risk of depression (Yesavage) than the IG (P=.048). During the follow-up, 13% of the IG and 5% of the CG changed their initial status of frailty to one of non-frailty, while 11% of the IG and 22% of the CG were newly diagnosed as frail (P<.001). The total number of events (nursing home admission, home visits, deaths) was 15% in the IG and 17% in the CG (P=.64). Conclusions: the intervention proved to be effective in containing the number of patients newly diagnosed as frail and in increasing the number of participants who reversed their status from frail to non-frail during the follow-up. GGA is effective if used in conjunction with an intervention

Síndrome confusional en el anciano / Confusional syndrome in the elderly

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