The effectiveness of communication interventions in providing older people with information on access to in-home health and social care services: a systematic review protocol.

Abstract

REVIEW QUESTION/OBJECTIVE The objective of this review is to locate, critically appraise and synthesize the evidence on the effectiveness of communication strategies for providing older people access to information regarding in-home health and social care services. The review question is: What is the effectiveness of communication interventions in providing older people with information about in-home health and social care services? INCLUSION CRITERIA Types of participants: This review will include studies that examine older people (50 years and over) who are seeking health and social care services information to enable them to remain in their own homes. The setting is community based and will exclude older people living institutionally. Types of interventions: This review will consider studies that evaluate communication interventions aimed at providing older people with access to health and social care services information and their ability to remain living independently for longer in their own homes. The intervention may include but not be limited to: the internet, mass media (broadcast and print, specialist and general), health professionals or expert advisers, organizations (government, not-for-profit, voluntary and commercial), personal social contacts (the “grapevine”), and publications and literature. Interventions may be compared against each other or compared to no intervention, as will be the usual care situation. Types of outcomes: As this review is considering the effectiveness of communication strategies for providing information to older people to enable maintenance of independence, the primary outcome will be satisfaction with strategies that assist them to access the services required. This will predominantly be measured byTRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS