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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2016 Jan;45(1):30-41.
doi: 10.1093/ageing/afv174.

Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a proactive, goal-oriented, integrated care model in general practice for older people. A cluster randomised controlled trial: Integrated Systematic Care for older People--the ISCOPE study

Jeanet Blom  1 , Wendy den Elzen  1 , Anne H van Houwelingen  1 , Margot Heijmans  1 , Theo Stijnen  2 , Wilbert Van den Hout  3 , Jacobijn Gussekloo  1
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a proactive, goal-oriented, integrated care model in general practice for older people. A cluster randomised controlled trial: Integrated Systematic Care for older People--the ISCOPE study

Jeanet Blom et al. Age Ageing. 2016 Jan.

Abstract

Background: older people often experience complex problems. Because of multiple problems, care for older people in general practice needs to shift from a 'problem-based, disease-oriented' care aiming at improvement of outcomes per disease to a 'goal-oriented care', aiming at improvement of functioning and personal quality of life, integrating all healthcare providers. Feasibility and cost-effectiveness of this proactive and integrated way of working are not yet established.

Design: cluster randomised trial.

Participants: all persons aged ≥75 in 59 general practices (30 intervention, 29 control), with a combination of problems, as identified with a structured postal questionnaire with 21 questions on four health domains.

Intervention: for participants with problems on ≥3 domains, general practitioners (GPs) made an integrated care plan using a functional geriatric approach. Control practices: care as usual.

Outcome measures: (i) quality of life (QoL), (ii) activities of daily living, (iii) satisfaction with delivered health care and (iv) cost-effectiveness of the intervention at 1-year follow-up.

Trial registration: Netherlands trial register, NTR1946.

Results: of the 11,476 registered eligible older persons, 7,285 (63%) participated in the screening. One thousand nine hundred and twenty-one (26%) had problems on ≥3 health domains. For 225 randomly chosen persons, a care plan was made. No beneficial effects were found on QoL, patients' functioning or healthcare use/costs. GPs experienced better overview of the care and stability, e.g. less unexpected demands, in the care.

Conclusions: GPs prefer proactive integrated care. 'Horizontal' care using care plans for older people with complex problems can be a valuable tool in general practice. However, no direct beneficial effect was found for older persons.

Keywords: aged; integrated care; older people; primary care; proactive care.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Flowchart of participants in the study.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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