To test Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) as an adjunct to usual care.
A randomized controlled trial with 3, 6, and 12 months follow-up.
Rural communities.
A total of 182 of 265 frail older patients (52 refused, 2 withdrawn, 27 ineligible, 2 deaths) referred by family practitioners with allocation to intervention (n = 95) or usual care (n = 87).
Three-month implementation of CGA recommendations by a Mobile Geriatric Assessment Team (MGAT) with follow-up assessments at 3, 6, and 12 months. Geriatric nurse assessors, blinded to group assignment, performed each assessment.
Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS).
Baseline characteristics were comparable between groups. At 3 months, the intervention group was more likely to attain their goals (GAS total: chi = 46.4 +/- 5.9; GAS outcome chi = 48.0 +/- 6.6) compared with controls (total: chi = 38.7 +/- 4.1; outcome chi = 40.8 +/- 5.6) (P