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. 2024 Aug;28(48):1-194.
doi: 10.3310/HNRP2514.

Community-based complex interventions to sustain independence in older people, stratified by frailty: a systematic review and network meta-analysis

Thomas Frederick Crocker  1 , Natalie Lam  1 , Joie Ensor  2 , Magda Jordão  1 , Ram Bajpai  2 , Matthew Bond  2 , Anne Forster  1 , Richard D Riley  2 , Deirdre Andre  3 , Caroline Brundle  1 , Alison Ellwood  1 , John Green  1 , Matthew Hale  1 , Jessica Morgan  4 , Eleftheria Patetsini  1 , Matthew Prescott  1 , Ridha Ramiz  1 , Oliver Todd  1 , Rebecca Walford  4 , John Gladman  5 , Andrew Clegg  1
Affiliations

Community-based complex interventions to sustain independence in older people, stratified by frailty: a systematic review and network meta-analysis

Thomas Frederick Crocker et al. Health Technol Assess. 2024 Aug.

Abstract

Background: Sustaining independence is important for older people, but there is insufficient guidance about which community health and care services to implement.

Objectives: To synthesise evidence of the effectiveness of community services to sustain independence for older people grouped according to their intervention components, and to examine if frailty moderates the effect.

Review design: Systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Eligibility criteria: Studies: Randomised controlled trials or cluster-randomised controlled trials. Participants: Older people (mean age 65+) living at home. Interventions: community-based complex interventions for sustaining independence. Comparators: usual care, placebo or another complex intervention.

Main outcomes: Living at home, instrumental activities of daily living, personal activities of daily living, care-home placement and service/economic outcomes at 1 year.

Data sources: We searched MEDLINE (1946-), Embase (1947-), CINAHL (1972-), PsycINFO (1806-), CENTRAL and trial registries from inception to August 2021, without restrictions, and scanned reference lists.

Review methods: Interventions were coded, summarised and grouped. Study populations were classified by frailty. A random-effects network meta-analysis was used. We assessed trial-result risk of bias (Cochrane RoB 2), network meta-analysis inconsistency and certainty of evidence (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation for network meta-analysis).

Results: We included 129 studies (74,946 participants). Nineteen intervention components, including 'multifactorial-action' (multidomain assessment and management/individualised care planning), were identified in 63 combinations. The following results were of low certainty unless otherwise stated. For living at home, compared to no intervention/placebo, evidence favoured: multifactorial-action and review with medication-review (odds ratio 1.22, 95% confidence interval 0.93 to 1.59; moderate certainty) multifactorial-action with medication-review (odds ratio 2.55, 95% confidence interval 0.61 to 10.60) cognitive training, medication-review, nutrition and exercise (odds ratio 1.93, 95% confidence interval 0.79 to 4.77) and activities of daily living training, nutrition and exercise (odds ratio 1.79, 95% confidence interval 0.67 to 4.76). Four intervention combinations may reduce living at home. For instrumental activities of daily living, evidence favoured multifactorial-action and review with medication-review (standardised mean difference 0.11, 95% confidence interval 0.00 to 0.21; moderate certainty). Two interventions may reduce instrumental activities of daily living. For personal activities of daily living, evidence favoured exercise, multifactorial-action and review with medication-review and self-management (standardised mean difference 0.16, 95% confidence interval -0.51 to 0.82). For homecare recipients, evidence favoured the addition of multifactorial-action and review with medication-review (standardised mean difference 0.60, 95% confidence interval 0.32 to 0.88). Care-home placement and service/economic findings were inconclusive.

Limitations: High risk of bias in most results and imprecise estimates meant that most evidence was low or very low certainty. Few studies contributed to each comparison, impeding evaluation of inconsistency and frailty. Studies were diverse; findings may not apply to all contexts.

Conclusions: Findings for the many intervention combinations evaluated were largely small and uncertain. However, the combinations most likely to sustain independence include multifactorial-action, medication-review and ongoing review of patients. Some combinations may reduce independence.

Future work: Further research is required to explore mechanisms of action and interaction with context. Different methods for evidence synthesis may illuminate further.

Study registration: This study is registered as PROSPERO CRD42019162195.

Funding: This award was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme (NIHR award ref: NIHR128862) and is published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 28, No. 48. See the NIHR Funding and Awards website for further award information.

Keywords: AGEING WELL IN PLACE; COMMUNITY DWELLING OLDER PERSON; COMMUNITY DWELLING PERSON; COMPREHENSIVE GERIATRIC ASSESSMENT; FRAIL ELDERLY; MULTICOMPONENT PACKAGE OF CARE; PREVENTIVE HEALTH SERVICES; PRIMARY HEALTH CARE PRACTICE; REABLEMENT REHABILITATION THERAPY; REHABILITATION THERAPY; RESILIENCE; SYSTEMATIC REVIEW WITH NETWORK META ANALYSIS.

Plain language summary

Due to a lack of robust evidence, the benefits and risks of most types of community services for older people are unclear. Individualised care planning, where medication is adjusted and there are regular follow-ups, probably helps people stay living at home. There are many kinds of community services for older people. For example, in some services, everyone is given exercise and dietary advice or an individualised care plan. These often aim to help older people age independently. Maintaining independence is important in later life. We wanted to find out which community services work best: to help people stay living at home, and to do day-to-day activities independently. We reviewed findings from previous studies that have tested different community services for older people. We combined these findings and compared different types of service with one another. We rated our confidence in the evidence. We found 129 studies with 74,946 people. We found 63 different kinds of service have been studied. The studies were carried out in diverse populations around the world. Individualised care planning, where medication is adjusted and there are regular follow-ups, may help people age independently. It probably increases the chance of staying at home slightly. It may also help with doing day-to-day activities very slightly. Exercise and dietary advice may also help people stay living at home. However, there was some evidence that some services may reduce independence. We do not know what effect most services have. We generally had little confidence in the evidence because studies were small, and information was missing. The evidence is up to date to August 2021.

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