Centre for Policy on Ageing



Effectiveness of home based support for older people — systematic review and meta-analysis
Author(s)	Ruth Elkan, Denise Kendrick, Michael Dewey
Journal title	British Medical Journal, vol 323, no 7315, 29 September 2001
Pages	pp 719-725
Keywords	Home visits [doctors] ; Health visiting ; Preventative medicine ; Performance ; Evaluation ; Literature reviews.
Annotation	Shortcomings of two previous reviews on the effectiveness of home visits and the lack of consistency between findings prompted the present review and meta-analysis of 15 studies. For each study, the article tabulates aims, outcome measures, and the content of interventions. It also tabulates which outcomes are covered in each with regard to mortality, admission to hospital, health, functional ability, and long term institutional care. Overall, home visiting was associated with significant reductions in mortality and admissions to institutional long-term care. However, meta-analysis of six of the studies showed no significant reduction in admissions to hospital; three studies showed no significant effect on health; and four studies showed no effect on activities of daily living (ADLs). (RH).
Accession Number	CPA-011008219 A
Classmark	L5H: N8: LK2: 5H: 4C: 64A *
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...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing.