Cost-effectiveness of Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment.

Information

Health policy makers are seeking for health interventions that increase efficiency in the care of elderly people. Comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) is broadly seen as an intervention with such a potential.

Several research methods and data sources were used to perform an economic evaluation alongside a COCHRANE literature review that compared inpatient CGA with usual care for older people urgently admitted to hospital.

We found that CGA is likely to be cost-effective, although there is some uncertainty surrounding this result. The methodological approach used in this study provides decision-makers with economic evidence about CGA and could be used to evaluate other health interventions. Further work is required to establish the optimal way of combining review-based results with model-based economic evaluations.

Publications

Ellis G, Gardner M, Tsiachristas A, Langhorne P, Burke O, Harwood RH, Conroy SP, Kircher T, Somme D, Saltvedt I, Wald H, O'Neill D, Robinson D, Shepperd S. Comprehensive geriatric assessment for older adults admitted to hospital. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. In Press