[Potential role for family physicians in pushing back age-related impairment: hearing and vision disorders, incontinence and arthrosis].

OBJECTIVE

To determine which age-related disorders lend themselves for screening followed by intervention in general practice.

SETTING

Department of General Practice Medicine, University of Leiden.

DESIGN

Descriptive.

METHODS

This study concerned eight frequent age-related disorders: auditory and visual disorders, cognitive limitations, vertigo, incontinence, prostate symptoms, osteoarthritis and depressive symptoms. Four criteria (diagnostic possibilities, therapeutic possibilities, suitability of general practice for screening and intervention, the benefit of the programme to the elderly) were applied to selected literature (from Medicine and the electronic article files of the Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Geneeskunde (Dutch Journal of Medicine) and of Huisarts en Wetenschap (GP and Science) to find out whether screening followed by intervention appeared useful.

RESULTS

With regard to three disorders (auditory and visual disorders and incontinence) it appeared possible to reduce the impairments caused by them, while in osteoarthritis, screening and intervention might lead to better mobility.

CONCLUSION

With reference to recent literature, it appears theoretically possible to reduce the impairments caused by auditory and visual disorders, incontinence and osteoarthritis.