Outcome Measures
death
The observation period per participant was 12 months with data collection at T0 (baseline), T1 (6-month follow-up), and T2 (12-month follow-up). Data collection was performed by study nurses through participant interviews during home visits. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the study nurses began using telephone interviews in mid-March 2020. The proportion of telephone data collection by the study nurses was 26.5% at baseline, 66.6% at T1, and 93.4% at T2. Additional data on medical diagnoses, hospitalizations in the past 6 months, and the safety parameters (blood pressure, fasting glucose serum level, and glomerular filtration rate) were collected by the GPs based on patient records. At the time of the baseline survey, study nurses and GPs were blinded.The primary outcome of the study was defined as the mean number of hospitalizations (with at least 1 overnight stay) per patient within 12 months after the start of the study. In each of the 3 data collections, the number of hospital admissions in the past 6 months was recorded. The maximum of the patient's indication (collected by the study nurse) and the GP’s indication (collected by a questionnaire) was regarded as valid information for hospitalizations. In the case of dropout due to death or other reasons, the primary outcome was collected by the GP.Secondary pharmacologic outcomes were the total number of medications taken in the past 7 days and the EU(7)-PIMs for older people.