Articles: community-health-services.
-
High utilisation of emergency department (ED) among the elderly is of worldwide concern. This study aims to review the effectiveness of interventions targeting the elderly population in reducing ED utilisation. ⋯ The investigated interventions have mixed effectiveness. Our findings suggest the hospital-based interventions have relatively poorer effects, and should be better connected to the community-based strategies. Interventions seem to achieve the most success with integration of multi-layered elements, especially when incorporating key elements such as a nurse-led multidisciplinary team, integrated social care, and strong linkages to the longer-term primary and community care. Notwithstanding limitations in generalising the findings, this review builds on the growing body of evidence in this particular area.
-
To examine the type, duration and outcome of the symptoms and health problems Scotland's nurse-led telephone advice service (NHS 24) is contacted about and explore whether these vary by time of contact and patient characteristics. ⋯ This is the first study to examine how the public uses NHS 24. It has identified the patterns of problems which the service must be equipped to deal with. It has also provided important information about who uses the service and when. This information will help future planning and development of the service.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
A cluster randomised controlled trial and process evaluation of a training programme for mental health professionals to enhance user involvement in care planning in service users with severe mental health issues (EQUIP): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.
Involving service users in planning their care is at the centre of policy initiatives to improve mental health care quality in England. Whilst users value care planning and want to be more involved in their own care, there is substantial empirical evidence that the majority of users are not fully involved in the care planning process. Our aim is to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of training for mental health professionals in improving user involvement with the care planning processes. ⋯ It is hoped that the trial will generate data to inform mental health care policy and practice on care planning.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
A randomised trial assessing the acceptability and effectiveness of providing generic versus tailored feedback about health risks for a high need primary care sample.
Tailored feedback has been shown to be effective for modifying health risk behaviours and may aid the provision of preventive care by general practitioners (GPs). However, provision of tailored patient feedback for vulnerable or socially disadvantaged groups is not well explored. The aims of this study were to examine the acceptability and effectiveness of providing generic compared to tailored feedback on self-reported health risk behaviours among a high need sample of people attending an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service (ACCHS). ⋯ Tailored and generic feedback showed no difference in effectiveness, and little difference in acceptability, among this socially disadvantaged population. Completing a health risk survey and receiving any type of feedback may have overwhelmed more subtle differences in outcomes between the generic and the tailored feedback. Future work to rigorously evaluate the longer-term effectiveness of the provision of tailored health risk feedback for Aboriginal Australians, as well as other high need groups, is still needed.