?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rft.title=An+Approach+of+Initiating+Geriatric+Screening+OPD+at+the+Rural+Health+Training+Centre+of+SMVMCH%2C+Pondicherry&rft.creator=Muruganandham%2C+R&rft.creator=Ingole%2C+A&rft.creator=Murugan%2C+V&rft.creator=Dongre%2C+AR&rft.subject=Online+Journal+of+Health+and+Allied+Sciences&rft.description=Objectives%3A+To+study+the+common+chronic+health+problems+among+the+elderly+patients+attending+in+recently+initiated+geriatric+screening+OPD+at+the+RHTC.+Material+and+Methods%3A+Since+one+year%2C+screening+OPD+has+been+started+at+RHTC+of+SMVMCH%2C+for+old+patients+(%3E60+years)%2C+twice+a+week.+A+team+of+trained+medical+interns%2C+a+post-graduate%2C+a+faculty+in+Community+Medicine+and+a+counselor+screen+and+counsel+the+elderly+patients+for+common+medical+and+mental+health+problems.+The+screening+tool+is+structured+and+has+been+adopted+for+patients+of+geriatric+OPD+at+RHTC.+The+screening+tool+consist+of+General+Health+Questionnaire+(GHQ-5)%2C+Psychosis+screening%2C+Alzheimer%E2%80%99s+disease+(AD8)+questionnaire+and+checklist+of+common+medical+conditions.+Patients+were+screened+for+early+detection+of+health+problems+followed+by+counseling+them%2Ftheir+caregivers+and+referral+to+specialty+OPD+for+further+care.+Results%3A+Total+512+elderly+patients+were+screened+over+4+months+period+from+the+start+of+geriatric+OPD.+Out+of+them%2C+276+(54%25)+and+117+(23%25)+were+between+the+age+group+of+60-65+years+and+66-70+years+respectively.+Among+them+387+(75%25)+were+below+poverty+line+and+68+(13.3%25)+were+having+some+kind+of+health+insurance.+GHQ+score+indicates+that+255+(50%25)+patients+had+a+score+more+than+one+and+it+was+significantly+higher+among+females+compared+to+males.+About+76+(16.8%25)+elderly+had+a+score+of+%3E+1+for+psychosis%2C+out+of+which+only+12+(14%25)+were+referred+to+the+higher+centre.+AD8+score+shows+204+(40%25)+patients+attended+the+clinic+having+a+score+more+than+1+and+it+is+significantly+higher+among+females+compared+to+males.+Counseling+for+caregivers+was+given+only+in+13+(6%25)+of+the+patients+with+high+AD8+score.+Common+chronic+conditions+present+among+them+were+joint+pains+(310%2C+60%25)%2C+visual+disturbances+(247%2C+48%25)%2C+hearing+difficulty+(120%2C+23.4%25)+and+hypertension+(107%2C+21%25).+Conclusion%3A+The+proportion+of+people+with+AD8+score+more+than+1+is+high+and+most+common+chronic+condition+seen+is+joint+pain.+The+action+component+of+the+clinic+such+as+referral+of+dementia+patients%2C+psychosis+patients+and+counseling+of+their+care-givers+need+to+be+strengthened.+&rft.publisher=Kakkilaya+BS&rft.contributor=Kakkilaya%2C+Dr+Srinivas&rft.date=2014-02-20&rft.type=Journal+(On-line%2FUnpaginated)&rft.type=PeerReviewed&rft.format=application%2Fpdf&rft.identifier=http%3A%2F%2Fcogprints.org%2F9709%2F1%2F2013-4-2.pdf&rft.identifier=++Muruganandham%2C+R+and+Ingole%2C+A+and+Murugan%2C+V+and+Dongre%2C+AR++(2014)+An+Approach+of+Initiating+Geriatric+Screening+OPD+at+the+Rural+Health+Training+Centre+of+SMVMCH%2C+Pondicherry.++%5BJournal+(On-line%2FUnpaginated)%5D+++++&rft.relation=http%3A%2F%2Fcogprints.org%2F9709%2F