The effectiveness of ICPs for adults and children in health care settings: a systematic review

Abstract

Review Objectives: The overall objective is to assess the effectiveness of ICPs for adults and children in health care settings. Review Questions: • To identify the purposes for which ICPs are effective, for whom and in what contexts; • To identify the purposes for which ICPs are not effective, for whom and in what contexts; • To produce recommendations on how ICPs should be used in the full range of health care settings. Criteria for considering studies for this review; Types of participants: The participants consist of adult and child service user groups that access health care settings in which ICPs are used. Types of intervention(s)/phenomena of interest: The intervention to be examined is the ICP as it is used in any health care setting with regard to adult and child health service users. For the purposes of the review we will utilise the EPA definition of ICPs. Types of outcomes: Outcome measures will be determined by the purpose of the studies selected for review. We anticipate that these will include system (length of stay, costs), process (improvements in documentation, role clarity, communication, care planning, care coordination, timely treatments/investigations) and clinical outcomes. Clinical outcomes will be determined by the population of service users for which the ICP is developed.