Outpatient geriatric evaluation and management - Results of a randomized trial

The effectiveness and efficiency of outpatient geriatric. evaluation and management (GEM) was compared with usual outpatient primacy care (UPC). One hundred sixty frail elderly outpatients were assigned randomly to GEM or UPC and assessed at baseline and at 8 months on measures of (1) health and functional status, (2) psychosocial well-being, (3) duality of health and social care, (4) use of inpatient and outpatient services, and (5) cast of care. The results indicate that GEM was significantly more effective than UPC in reducing mortality, increasing patient satisfaction, and improving the quality of health and social care. However, it was not effective in reducing health care use or the cost of care.