GDS score as screening tool to assess the risk of impact of chronic conditions and depression on quality of life in hospitalized elderly patients in internal medicine wards

Aging of population is characterized by multiple chronic conditions in the same individual. Health-related quality of life (HR-QOL) reflects the multidimensional impact of chronic disease on population and it is increasingly analysed as outcomes. The aim of this study was the evaluation of the predictors of quality of life among elderly patients hospitalized in internal medicine ward, investigating the effect of comorbidities on health-related quality of life. Data collected in this cross-sectional study were analysed. Socio-demographic, clinical characteristics, disease distribution and quality of life by the 12-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) were evaluated. Of 240 inpatients, subjects with Barthel Index (BI)≤40 were 23.7%, 55% had a Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS)≥2. After categorizing mental component score (MCS) and physical component score (PCS) in five classes, we found that diabetics and patients with cancer were more frequent in the first class of MCS while patients with NYHA III-IV are significantly more frequent in the first class of PCS. When we classified patients according to GDS≥2 or < 2, subjects with GDS≥2 had BI and MCS significantly lower. In the multivariate analysis GDS score ≥2 was independently associated with first MCS class [16.32 (3.77–70.68)] while NYHA III-IV class and claudicatio intermittents were strong predictors of the worst PCS class [9.54 (1.97–47.40), 2.53 (1.16–5.49), respectively]. Liver disease was independently associated with GDS≥2 [5.26 (1.13–24.39)]. Our study highlighted the impact of chronic diseases on health-related quality of life in elderly subjects hospitalized in an internal medicine ward pointing out the importance of taking into account patient's needs and perception and the setting up of a personalised health-care. Patients with diabetes and liver disease along with persons affected by cancer need psychological support to improve their quality of life. A GDS score ≥ 2 is a strong predictor of poor quality of life and should trigger an in-depth assessment of mental health in this kind of patients.