Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment Using the Yoitoko Check-Up, a Novel Health Check-Up Providing Positive Feedback to Older Adults: A Before-After Study

Abstract

Purpose The Yoitoko check-up, a novel health check-up providing positive feedback, has been developed to promote health among older adults, and consists of several comprehensive geriatric assessment items. This report aimed to describe the details of the Yoitoko check-up and to explore the future possibility of the check-up by evaluating the participants’ short-term behavioral changes in terms of comprehensive functioning, using a before-after study design. Patients and Methods Four Yoitoko check-ups were conducted, at 3-month intervals, between December 2018 and September 2019. Study participants aged ≥65 years included those who had undergone ≥2 Yoitoko check-ups. The results of each visit after the second check-ups were retrospectively compared with those of the baseline, and the mean changes and the odds ratios were calculated using a paired t -test or a McNemar test, respectively. Results Of 84 participants, the results of 16 (19.0%) participants were analyzed. The mean (standard deviation) age was 75.3 (4.7) years. The mean Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology Index of Competence score, a measure of high-level functional capacity, increased 0.9 (95% confidence interval; range, 0.2–1.5) points between the first and second visits. Conclusion We developed the Yoitoko check-up and introduced the details of it. Our study findings suggested that the Yoitoko check-up may further motivate older adults to improve their health and promote positive behavioral changes. Future studies are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of this novel assessment method.