title: Comprehensive clinical assessment of home-based older persons within New Zealand: an epidemiological profile of a national cross-section.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Since 2012, all community care recipients in New Zealand have undergone a standardised needs assessment using the Home Care International Residential Assessment Instrument (interRAI-HC). This study describes the national interRAI-HC population, assesses its data quality and evaluates its ability to be matched.
  
  
  METHODS
  The interRAI-HC instrument elicits information on 236 questions over 20 domains; conducted by 1,800+ trained health professionals. Assessments between 1 July 2012 and 30 June 2014 are reported here. Stratified by age, demographic characteristics were compared to 2013 Census estimates and selected health profiles described. Deterministic matching to the Ministry of Health's mortality database was undertaken.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 51,232 interRAI-HC assessments were conducted, with 47,714 (93.1%) research consent from 47,236 unique individuals; including 2,675 Māori and 1,609 Pacific people. Apart from height and weight, data validity and reliability were high. A 99.8% match to mortality data was achieved.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The interRAI-HC research database is large and ethnically diverse, with high consent rates. Its generally good psychometric properties and ability to be matched enhances its research utility.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This national database provides a remarkable opportunity for researchers to better understand older persons' health and health care, so as to better sustain older people in their own homes.
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, University of Canterbury, New Zealand.|School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, The University of Queensland.
authors.forename: Philip J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Schluter
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, University of Canterbury, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Annabel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ahuriri-Driscoll
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Otago, New Zealand.|New Zealand Brain Research Institute.
authors.forename: Tim J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.affiliation: GeoHealth Laboratory, University of Canterbury, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Beere
authors.affiliation: Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Canterbury, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: New Zealand Brain Research Institute.|Department of Psychology, University of Canterbury, New Zealand.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dalrymple-Alford
authors.affiliation: UC High Performance Computing, University of Canterbury, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: David
authors.affiliation: Canterbury District Health Board, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Davidson
authors.affiliation: Centre for Postgraduate Nursing Studies, University of Otago, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Deborah A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Gillon
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hirdes
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Otago, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Sally
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Keeling
authors.affiliation: GeoHealth Laboratory, University of Canterbury, New Zealand.|GeoHealth Laboratory, University of Canterbury, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kingham
authors.affiliation: Māori/Indigenous Health Institute (MIHI), University of Otago, New Zealand.|Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Cameron
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lacey
authors.affiliation: Department of Economics and Finance, University of Canterbury, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Andrea K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Menclova
authors.affiliation: Canterbury District Health Board, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Nigel
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Millar
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Brown University, Rhode Island, USA.
authors.forename: Vince
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mor
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Otago, New Zealand.|Canterbury District Health Board, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Hamish A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Jamieson
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016208:Databases, Factual / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009520:New Zealand; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012111:Residence Characteristics
keywords: community care assessment; epidemiology; interRAI instrument; national study; older persons health