Table 1 Characteristics of included studies (arranged by publication year)
(Reference) First author + Year + Country | Study design | Setting | Study population | Risk of bias | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
[38] Harrold, 2014 U.S.A | Retrospective cohort | Hospice Care at Home | 35,232 patients (53.8% women). Mean age mean: 79 (71–89) years | Convenience sample | High (5) |
[42] Holm SG, 2014 Norway | Cross-sectional | Home Care Services, including Home Help, Home Nursing Care or both | 276 home care recipients in municipality A and 181 in B | Convenience sample | High (5) |
[27] Montalto M, 2010 Australia | Cohort | HIH, as the equivalent of a ward or clinical unit of the hospital, in a large not-for-profit private Hospital | 3,423 episodes (44.7% women); age range 0 to + 80 | Convenience sample. There is no control group. There is no control for confounding variables in the design/analysis. There is no blind or third party evaluation. Precision of results not reported (only p values) | Low (2) |
[43] Vecchio N, 2007. Australia | Cross-sectional | Community-based non-government national home care services provider | 218 clients (57% women), age range 7 to 99 | Single-centre study with a convenience sample. Precision of results not reported | Medium (3) |
[39] Adams, 2001. U.S.A | Retrospective cohort | Non-profit Medicare-certified Home Health Agencies | 2,788 episodes of medical-surgical patients (65% women), mean age (75 years (SD 13.5) | Convenience sample | High (5) |
[28] Adams, 2000 U.S.A | Prospective cohort | Non-profit Medicare-certified Home Health Agencies | 2,788 episodes of medical-surgical patients (65% women), mean age (75 years (SD 13.5) | Convenience sample. There is no control for confounding variables in the design/analysis | Medium (3) |
[29] Lee TT, 2000 U.S.A | Cohort | Home Healthcare | 244 patients (50% women), mean age 60.5 years | Single-centre study with a convenience sample. Precision of results not reported | Medium (3) |
[30] Payne SM, 1998 U.S.A | Cohort | Non proprietary Home Health Agencies | 4,426 home health visits, based on 2,012 clients. The average age of the clients was 59.2 years, 58.5% were women | Convenience sample of experienced nurses (unrepresentative) | Medium (3) |
[31] Hays BJ, 1995 U.S.A | Cross-sectional | Home health agency that serves urban and rural areas | 237 patients (64% female), 81% 60 years or older | Precision of results not reported | Medium (4) |
[32] Bonifassi, 1994. France | Cohort | Hospitalisation at home centers | 163 stay in Hospitalisation at home centers. Patients with HIV, with an average age of 36.5 years, mostly male | Convenience sample. Limited to HIV-patients Basic descriptive analysis, without adjusting the results and without reporting its precision | Low (1) |
[44] Trisolini MG, 1994. U.S.A | Cross-sectional | Home Healthcare | 273 patient visits; 67% women. Mean age: 67.4 (SD: 16.8) years | Convenience sample Non-validated measuring instrument Precision of results not reported | Medium (4) |
[40] Tiesinga, 1994. Netherlands | Retrospective cohort | Community Health Care institutions (rural and urban) | 65 community health nurses and community nurse auxiliaries; 1,200 patients 69% women); average age: 70 years | Convenience sample Non-validated measuring instrument Precision of results not reported | Medium (4) |
[33] Churness, 1991 U.S.A | Cohort | Home Health Nursing Services | 83 out of 138 nurses collected data on 1,183 home visits. In phase III, 187 visits were in the sample | Convenience sample During the time of the study, pay-per-visit was introduced (possible information bias). Non-validated measuring instrument Precision of results not reported | Low (2) |
[34] Cox CL, 1990 U.S.A | Cohort | A hospital-affiliated, non-profit, Medicare-Certified home health care agency that provides skilled nursing care, and other professional and home health aide services | 50 patients (68% women); mean age: 76.8 years | Convenience sample It does not take into account factors related to the activity of professionals. Precision of results not reported | Medium (3) |
[35] Williams BC, 1990. U.S.A | Cohort | Home health services | 1984 episodes of care corresponding to 1963 patients (63% women); median age: 69 years (range < 1 to > 99 years) | It does not take into account factors related to the activity of professionals. Precision of results not reported | Medium (3) |
[36] Peters DA, 1988. U.S.A | Cohort | Home Care, as provided by a visiting nurse association (Agency A) and a hospital-based home care program (Agency B) | 560 home care cases: 314 from Agency A and 246 from Agency B Mean age of 63 | Convenience sample Validity data of the measuring instrument not shown. Precision of results not reported | Medium (4) |
[37] Stark AJ, 1984. Canada | Cohort | Long-term care program | 3518 clients (75.9% women); Mean age in Unit A (urban): 78.5 years (S.D. 13.3) and in Unit B (semi-rural): 74.6 years (S.D. 14.8) | Convenience sample There is no definition about the measure of the level of care/activity performed. No analysis plan is established. Precision of results not reported | Medium (3) |
[41] Ballard, 1983. U.S.A | Retrospective cohort | Home Care Agencies | 397 patient records (56.2% women); mean age: 70.9 years (range 1 to 96) | Limited to cancer or cardiac patients. No information about the professionals’ activities. There is not standardized definitions | Medium (4) |