Testing a WHO care program for older adults in France

The World Health Organization (WHO) has designed an integrated care program (ICOPE) aimed at maintaining the functions of elderly people to preserve their autonomy. It includes four steps (Screening, Comprehensive Assessment, Personalized Prevention and Care Plan, Follow-up). The screening tool assesses a person's intrinsic capacity in six key functional domains (mobility, cognition, nutrition, vision, hearing, psychological well-being). This screening can be conducted by a professional or through self-assessment using the digital application (ICOPE Monitor). If a deficit is detected, an alert is issued, and if confirmed by a healthcare professional trained in ICOPE, a comprehensive assessment of the impaired function and a personalized prevention and care plan is proposed by the physician. A trained nurse assists the person in implementing this plan in collaboration with the primary care physician and local professionals. When multiple functions are impaired, it is recommended to conduct a thorough evaluation of all six functions to implement an integrated approach.

The clinical effectiveness of the program in preventing functional decline has not yet been established in a sufficiently long trial.

The investigators propose to evaluate the effect and cost of the ICOPE program in France through a controlled trial. Our hypothesis is that, in the current primary care context, the comprehensive implementation of the program (combining regular screening, comprehensive assessment, prevention and care plan, and follow-up) is necessary to more effectively prevent age-related functional decline compared to the usual care provided by the primary care physician.