Effectiveness of comprehensive care programs for patients with multiple chronic conditions or frailty: A systematic literature review.
OBJECTIVE
To describe comprehensive care programs targeting multimorbid and/or frail patients and to estimate their effectiveness regarding improvement of patient and caregiver related outcomes, healthcare utilization and costs.


METHODS
Systematic search in six electronic databases for scientific papers published between January 2011 and March 2014, supplemented by reference tracking. Wagner's Chronic Care Model (CCM) was used to operationalize comprehensive care. The quality of the included studies was assessed, and a best-evidence synthesis was applied.


RESULTS
Nineteen publications were included describing effects of eighteen comprehensive care programs for multimorbid or frail patients, of which only one was implemented in a European country. Programs varied in target groups, settings, interventions and number of CCM components addressed. Providing comprehensive care might result in more patient satisfaction, less depressive symptoms, a better health-related quality of life or functioning of multimorbid or frail patients, but the evidence is insufficient. There is no evidence that comprehensive care reduces the number of primary care or GP visits or healthcare costs. Regarding the use of inpatient care, the evidence was insufficient. No evidence was found for a beneficial effect of comprehensive care on caregiver-related outcomes.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite the fact that over the years several (good-quality) studies have been performed to estimate the value of comprehensive care for multimorbid and/or frail patients, evidence for their effectiveness remains insufficient. More good-quality studies and/or studies allowing meta-analysis are needed to determine which specific target groups at what moment will benefit from comprehensive care. Moreover, evaluation studies could improve by using more appropriate outcome measures, e.g. measures that relate to patient-defined (personal) goals of care.
Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research (NIVEL), P.O. Box 1568, 3500 BN Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Petra
P
Hopman
National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Centre for Nutrition, Prevention and Health Services, P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
Simone R
SR
de Bruin
National School of Public Health, Instituto de Salud Carlos III and REDISSEC, Calle Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029 Madrid, Spain.
Maria João
MJ
Forjaz
National Center of Epidemiology and CIBERNED, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Av. Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029 Madrid, Spain.
Carmen
C
Rodriguez-Blazquez
Department of Geriatrics, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.
Giuseppe
G
Tonnara
National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Centre for Nutrition, Prevention and Health Services, P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
Lidwien C
LC
Lemmens
Department of Geriatrics, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy; Geriatrics Working Group, Italian Medicines Agency - AIFA, Rome, Italy.
Graziano
G
Onder
National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Centre for Nutrition, Prevention and Health Services, P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands; Scientific Centre for Transformation in Care and Welfare (Tranzo), University of Tilburg, Tilburg, The Netherlands.
Caroline A
CA
Baan
Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research (NIVEL), P.O. Box 1568, 3500 BN Utrecht, The Netherlands. Electronic address: M.Rijken@nivel.nl.
Mieke
M
Rijken
D003191:Comprehensive Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D014943:Global Health; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006801:Humans; D000071069:Multiple Chronic Conditions / Q000628:therapy*; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care
Chronic care; Comprehensive care; Effectiveness; Frailty; Integrated care; Multimorbidity