Selection of the method to appraise and compare health systems using risk stratification: the ASSEHS approach.
To face the challenge of active and healthy ageing, European Health Systems and services should move towards proactive, anticipatory and integrated care. The comparison of methods to combine results across studies and to determine an overall effect was undertaken by the EU project ASSEHS (Activation of Stratification Strategies and Results of the interventions on frail patients of Healthcare Services, EU project (No. 2013 12 04). The questions raised in ASSEHS are broad and involve a complex body of literature. Thus, systematic reviews are not appropriate. The most appropriate method appears to be scoping studies. In this paper, an updated method of scoping studies has been used to determine the questions needed to appraise the health systems and services for frailty in the ageing population. Three objectives were set (i) to detect a relevant number of risk stratification tools for frailty and identify the best-in-class, (ii) to understand the feasibility of introducing stratification tools and identify the difficulties of the process and (iii) to find evidence on the impact of risk stratification in Health Services. This novel approach may provide greater clarity about scoping study methodology and help enhance the methodological rigor with which authors undertake and report scoping studies.
International Center for Research in Chronicity, Kronikgune, Biscay, Spain. jmora@kronikgune.org.
J
J
Mora
Philips Electronics Nederland B.V., Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
D
D
De Massari
Philips Electronics Nederland B.V., Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
S
S
Pauws
Philips Electronics Nederland B.V., Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
J
J
op den Buijs
International Center for Research in Chronicity, Kronikgune, Biscay, Spain.
M
M
David
International Center for Research in Chronicity, Kronikgune, Biscay, Spain. lprieto@kronikgune.org.
L
L
Prieto
Generalitat de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain.
J
J
Contel
Fundació Ticsalut, Mataró, Spain.
T
T
Martí
Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
J
J
Bousquet
International Center for Research in Chronicity, Kronikgune, Biscay, Spain.
E
E
de Manuel
D000368:Aged; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000379:methods*; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D010346:Patient Care Management / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D012107:Research Design / Q000592:standards*; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*
ASSEHS; EIPonAHA; Frailty; Health system; Scoping studies