Development and Implementation of a Gender-Sensitive Outpatient Rehabilitation Model for Geriatric Patients: A Prospective Cohort Study

Objective: To develop, implement, and clinically evaluate an outpatient rehabilitation model for geriatric patients that incorporates gender-specific characteristics.

Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in three stages. The first stage involved a geriatric analysis of 1,915 patients using validated assessment tools (MMSE, MoCA, MNA, TUG, Barthel Index, BDI-II, SF-36) to identify cognitive, motor, nutritional, and psycho-emotional impairments. The second stage comprised a structural-clinical evaluation of 247 patients to determine profiles of functional deficits. At the third stage, the proposed model was implemented and validated in two outpatient facilities, with its effectiveness assessed in a cohort of 100 patients using key functional scales.

Results: Clear gender-based differences in the prevalence of functional impairments were identified, justifying the need for a personalized model. Implementation of the model led to statistically significant improvements in cognitive function (MoCA: +2.1±0.4 points, p<0.01), physical activity (TUG: –2.8 sec, p<0.05), nutritional status (MNA: +2.5 points), and overall quality of life (SF-36). The completion rate of rehabilitation programs increased to 62.1%.

Conclusions: A gender-sensitive approach significantly enhances the effectiveness of outpatient rehabilitation for geriatric patients, ensuring sustained improvements in functional health and quality of life. The developed model is recommended for large-scale implementation in primary healthcare settings.