Table 1 Overview of geriatric assessment practices, from which participants were recruited, including geriatric testing methods

Focus group number

1, 2

3, 4

5, 6

Type of practice

Prospective multicentre observational cohort study

4 year follow up

Prospective multicentre observational cohort study

(cross-sectional geriatric assessment)

Routine care practice

Aim of geriatric assessment

Examine the severity of cognitive impairment in older patients reaching ESKD before dialysis and the rate of decline after dialysis or CCM initiation

Assess the association of geriatric measures between start of dialysis and after 6 months

Guide patients to the best treatment choice and to define supplementary care to optimize quality of life and reduction of illness-related symptoms

Population at inclusion

≥65 years, eGFR ≤20 ml/min/1.73m²

≥65 years, initiating dialysis or conservative kidney management

≥70 years (or younger if indicated), eGFR ≤20 ml/min/1.73m²

Measurements

Baseline: at inclusion

Follow-up: yearly (four times), and after six months of start dialysis treatment

Baseline: within 4 weeks of initiating dialysis or 4 weeks after final decision to withhold

Follow-up: after 6 months by phone

Yearly assessment divided over 2 or 3 visits

Conducted by

Nurse practitioner or geriatric nurse

Research nurse

Nurse practitioner

Duration

3 h

60–90 min

2 × 30 min

Location

Outpatient clinic

Home visit, follow-up by telephone

Outpatient clinic

Use of outcomes of assessment

For study purposes and discussed in multidisciplinary meeting and with patient, if necessary referred for geriatric consult

Collected for study purposes only, at home or in dialysis centre

Discussed in multidisciplinary meeting and with patient

 1. Functional status (ADL/ iADL)

GARS^a

Lawton^a

Katz-6^a

Lawton^a

Katz^a

 2. Mobility

Gait speed^a

Hand grip strength^a

Short Physical Performance battery^a

Timed up and go

Falls^a

Four Test Balance Scale

Timed up and go^c

Falls^c

 3. Cognition

Mini Mental State Examination^a

Clock drawing^a

15- WVLT^a

Stroop Colour Word Test^a

Trail making test (A&B)^a

Visual Association Test^a

Letter Digit Substitution Test^a

Assessment of numeracy^a

Mini Mental State Examination Clock drawing

Enhanced Cued Recall

Semantic Fluency Test

MOCA^a

 4. Mood

Geriatric Depression Scale^a

Geriatric Depression Scale

Geriatric Depression Scale^a

 5. Nutritional status

Subjective Global Assessment or SNAQ^a

Mini-Nutritional Assessment

(anamnesis by dietician)^a

 6. Comorbidity

Charlson Comorbidity Index^a

CIRS-G

(anamnesis)^a

 7. Quality of Life^a

RAND-36^a

EuroQol-5

EuroQol-5D^a

Visual Analogue Scale^a

 8. Frailty

Fried frailty indicator^a

Groningen Frailty Index^a

Fried Frailty Index (includes 4 m walking test and Handgrip strength)

Rockwood Clinical Frailty score ^c

 9. Caregiver burden

EDIZ-plus^a

EDIZ^a

([hetro]anamnesis by social worker) ^a

 10. Estimation of nephrologist

VAS: overall condition

Surprise question

Surprise question ^c

 11. Other

Cantril’s ladder, Pain score, Anxiety score

Illness perceptions questionnaire^a

Additional subjective cognition tests (by caregiver):

IDDD ^a

IQCODE ^a

Neuro-Psychological Inventory ^a

Outcome Prioritization Tool (treatment goals) ^a