Identifying distinct risk profiles to predict adverse events among community-dwelling older adults.

Only patients who received the nurse-led intervention were analysed, and usual-care control data were unavailable. The study was observational and exploratory, so it did not test whether the intervention changed outcomes. The Sutter questionnaire was a screening instrument without psychometric qualities, and patient self-report may have missed some hospitalizations or ED visits. Patients came from one geographic area in Pennsylvania, outcome data came only from participating hospitals, and ethnicity and socio-economic information were limited. Risk profiles were not independently validated, and number of chronic conditions and medications were dichotomized, which may affect class assignment.

Do not read these profiles as proof that the nurse-led intervention prevents hospitalization, ED visits or death. The nurse-led intervention included care coordination, disease management and preventive services, but the analysis included only patients who received it, had no usual-care comparison, and did not test whether any component prevented events.