Effect of preventive primary care outreach on health related quality of life among older adults at risk of functional decline: randomised controlled trial.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of a provider initiated primary care outreach intervention compared with usual care among older adults at risk of functional decline.

Design: Randomised controlled trial.

Setting: Patients enrolled with 35 family physicians in five primary care networks in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

Risk factors for falling among community-based seniors.

Background: Falling constitutes a significant risk to the health and well-being of seniors. Although a number of risk factors have been established within the literature for falling, limited work has differentiated risk factors for 1-time versus recurrent or multiple fallers.

Methods: The purpose of this research was to examine 2 relationships: (1) the risk factors for nonfallers versus fallers (1+ falls); and (2) the risk factors for nonfallers/1-time fallers versus multiple fallers (2+ falls).

The prevalence and management of current daily pain among older home care clients.

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine the prevalence and correlates of pharmacotherapy for current daily pain in older home care clients, focusing on analgesic type and potential contraindications to treatment. The sample included 2779 clients aged 65+years receiving services from Community Care Access Centres in Ontario during 1999-2001. Clients were assessed with the Resident Assessment Instrument-Home Care (RAI-HC).

The relationship between agency characteristics and quality of home care.

Background: This project assessed the relationship between home care quality indicators (HCQIs) and agency characteristics.

Methods: Twelve agencies completed a mailed survey on a variety of characteristics, including size of their caseload and for-profit (FP) status of contracted service providers. The HCQIs were derived from standardized assessments completed voluntarily for home care clients in Ontario and in Manitoba, Canada.

Potentially inappropriate management of depressive symptoms among Ontario home care clients.

Objective: To examine the prevalence and correlates of potentially inappropriate pharmacotherapy (including potential under-treatment) for depression in adult home care clients.

Methods: A cross-sectional study of clients receiving services from Community Care Access Centres in Ontario. Three thousand three hundred and twenty-one clients were assessed with the Resident Assessment Instrument for Home Care (RAI-HC).

Predictors of influenza immunization among home care clients in Ontario.

Background: This study examined factors associated with the receipt of influenza vaccination among Ontario home care clients.

Methods: Home care clients were assessed, as part of a routine home visit, during a pilot study of the Resident Assessment Instrument - Home Care (RAI-HC) in 12 Ontario Community Care Access Centres (CCACs). The RAI-HC is a multidimensional assessment that identifies clients' needs and level of functional ability.

Risk adjustment methods for Home Care Quality Indicators (HCQIs) based on the minimum data set for home care.

Background: There has been increasing interest in enhancing accountability in health care. As such, several methods have been developed to compare the quality of home care services. These comparisons can be problematic if client populations vary across providers and no adjustment is made to account for these differences.

Home care quality indicators (HCQIs) based on the MDS-HC.

Purpose: This study aimed to develop home care quality indicators (HCQIs) to be used by a variety of audiences including consumers, agencies, regulators, and policy makers to support evidence-based decision making related to the quality of home care services.

Design And Methods: Data from 3,041 Canadian and 11,252 U.S.