https://doi.org/10.4081/gc.2026.15797
46 | Enhancing the comprehensive geriatric assessment through national well-being indicators: a multidimensional framework for older people
L. Mazza1, R. Ievoli2 | 1UOC Rete Geriatrica Integrata Ospedale Territorio, Ospedale Maggiore, AUSL Bologna; 2Dipartimento di Scienze dell'Ambiente e della Prevenzione, Università di Ferrara.
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Published: 11 June 2026
Introduction. In the current demographic context, identifying frailty and the needs of older people requires specific tools. The Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) is a key resource for defining personalized care plans, serving as a driver of healthcare reorganization and the development of community-based services, in line with recent policy reforms.
Objectives. This study aims to build a multidimensional national system by classifying existing well-being indicators into the four CGA domains (clinical, functional, cognitive, socio-environmental), in order to support national and regional health policies in the geriatric field.
Materials and Methods. Starting from the Italian Equitable and Sustainable Well-being (BES) framework, 22 indicators referring to the population aged 75+ and one of healthy life expectancy at age 65 were selected, covering the period 2016–2024. For each indicator, the desired direction (polarity) was defined. Indicators were allocated across the four domains (6, 3, 3, 11), normalized through a base-100 index (2016=100), and aggregated via arithmetic mean.
Results. The least favorable results concern the clinical domain, which in 2024 remains at 2016 levels after a temporary improvement in 2021–2023, mainly due to negative trends in smoking and diet. The cognitive domain shows a gradual recovery after the pandemic (+5 in 2024 vs 2016), as does the functional domain (+8), both previously affected by increased limitations and sedentary behavior. Despite rising inequalities and poverty risk, the socio-environmental domain constantly remains above the baseline, reaching +11 in 2024.
Conclusions. The study supports the development of a dashboard to inform national health policies for older people. Future research will involve healthcare professionals in refining indicator selection and classification, as well as defining weighting systems for the aggregation phase.
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