Integrated care for older people: methodological issues in conducting a systematic literature review.
BACKGROUND
Systematic reviews are a useful approach for nurses to take in exploring issues important to their practice, and in this article the process of conducting a systematic literature review on integrated care for older people is described. The review was conducted as one strand of a research project aiming to inform the development of locality-based integrated care for older people in Northern Ireland, a development driven by observations of user needs.


METHODS
Systematic literature review methodology is summarized and critiqued. The process of undertaking the review in this study is described with a focus on the first stage of identifying literature, and the challenges that this presents in a review which draws on multiple bodies of work.


RESULTS
Producing a systematic literature review in integrated care is a complex undertaking, comprising a variety of different sectors, organizations, care settings, professionals, and other users, with their own bodies of knowledge; the need for an inclusive approach; the need to search a wide range of databases; nonspecific terminology; and the inappropriateness of study design hierarchies as selection criteria.


CONCLUSIONS
While such a literature review might provide a basis for research and practice, the ability of the review team to call upon a wide range of skills, experience, and knowledge across the information management field and the care system is crucial.
Reed
Jan
J
Centre for Care of Older People, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. jan.reed@northumbria.ac.uk
Childs
Sue
S
Cook
Glenda
G
Hall
Amanda
A
McCormack
Brendan
B
D000368:Aged; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D019992:Databases as Topic / Q000458:organization & administration; D005851:Geriatric Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000458:organization & administration; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D020380:Needs Assessment / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009660:Northern Ireland; D015399:Nursing Research / Q000458:organization & administration; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration; D012107:Research Design; D012196:Review Literature as Topic