AUTHOR=Buczak-Stec Elżbieta W. , Hajek André , van den Bussche Hendrik , Eisele Marion , Oey Anke , Wiese Birgitt , Weyerer Siegfried , Werle Jochen , Fuchs Angela , Pentzek Michael , Luppa Melanie , Löbner Margit , Weeg Dagmar , Mösch Edelgard , Heser Kathrin , Wagner Michael , Riedel-Heller Steffi G. , Maier Wolfgang , Scherer Martin , König Hans-Helmut TITLE=Factors Contributing to Persistent Frequent Attendance in Primary Care Among the Oldest Old: Longitudinal Evidence From the AgeCoDe-AgeQualiDe Study JOURNAL=Frontiers in Medicine VOLUME=9 YEAR=2022 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/medicine/articles/10.3389/fmed.2022.815419 DOI=10.3389/fmed.2022.815419 ISSN=2296-858X ABSTRACT=Objective

Since there is a lack of longitudinal studies in this area, our aim was to identify the determinants of persistent frequent attendance in primary care among the oldest old in Germany.

Methods

Longitudinal data (follow-up wave 7–9) were taken from the multicenter prospective cohort “Study on needs, health service use, costs, and health-related quality of life in a large sample of oldest-old primary care patients (85+)” (AgeQualiDe), covering primary care patients ≥ 85 years (FU7 n = 741, mean age 88.9 years (SD 2.9; 85–100)). Persistent frequent attenders of general practitioner (GP) services (the patients in the top decile of the number of GP consultations in two or more consecutive waves) were our main outcome of interest. Logistic random-effects models were used.

Results

Our analysis included 1,891 observations (766 individuals). Across three waves, we identified 56 persistent frequent attenders. Results of random-effects logistic regressions showed that the odds of being persistent frequent attender were higher for widowed individuals (OR = 4.57; 95% CI [1.07–19.45]). Moreover, a one-point increase in the frailty score and having one more chronic condition increased the odds of being a persistent frequent attender by 68% (OR =1.68; 95% CI [1.05–2.69]) and 23% (OR=1.23, 95% CI [1.05–1.44]), respectively.

Conclusion

Our study stressed the longitudinal association between frailty and widowhood as well as chronic diseases and persistent frequent attendance among the oldest old in Germany.