Quality indicators to monitor the quality and safety of care for older people: a scoping review protocol.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this review is to identify quality indicators used to monitor the quality and safety of care provided to older people (≥ 65 years old) in 8 care settings: primary care; hospital/acute care; aged care (including residential aged care and home or community care); palliative care; rehabilitation care; care transitions; dementia care; and care in rural areas. INTRODUCTION: There is a need for high-quality, holistic, person-centered aged and health care for older people. Older people receive care across multiple care settings, and population-level monitoring of quality and safety of care across settings represents a significant challenge. INCLUSION CRITERIA: National and international quality indicators used to monitor and evaluate quality and safety of care at the population level for older individuals in the 8 key care settings will be considered for inclusion. English-language quantitative and mixed method studies published from 2012 will be considered. METHODS: Academic (MEDLINE, Embase) and gray (government websites, clinical guidelines, Google) literature searches will be conducted. A standardized data extraction tool will be used to describe the identified quality indicators and associated tools. Quality indicators will be categorized by key domains (ie, pain, function, consumer experience, service delivery), quality indicator type (structure, process, outcome) and the Institute of Medicine's 6 dimensions of care quality (eg, efficiency, effectiveness, appropriateness, accessibility, acceptability/person-centered, safety). The scoping review will be conducted in accordance with the JBI methodology for scoping reviews and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). REVIEW REGISTRATION: Open Science Framework osf.io/8czun.

Working Together to Improve Type 2 Diabetes Care: A Participatory Design Project to Address Identified Needs of People With Diabetes and Their Health-care Professionals.

OBJECTIVES: Diabetes care in Australia is often fragmented and provider-centred, resulting in suboptimal care. Innovative solutions are needed to bridge the evidence-practice gap, and technology can facilitate the redesign of type 2 diabetes care. We used participatory design to increase the chances of fulfilling stakeholders' needs. Using this method, we explored solutions aimed at redesigning diabetes care, focussing on the previously identified needs. METHODS: The participatory design project was guided by stakeholders' contributions. Stakeholders of this project included people with type 2 diabetes, health-care professionals, technology developers, and researchers. Information uncovered at each step influenced the next: 1) identification of needs, 2) generation of solutions, and 3) testing of solutions. Here, we present steps 2 and 3. In step 2, we presented previously identified issues and elicited creative solutions. In step 3, we obtained stakeholders' feedback on the solutions from step 2, presented as care pathways. RESULTS: Suggested solutions included a multidisciplinary wellness centre, a mobile app, increased access to education, improved care coordination, increased support for general practitioners, and a better funding model. The revised care pathways featured accessible community resources, a tailored self-management and educational app, a care coordinator, a digital dashboard, and specialized support for primary care to deal with complex cases. CONCLUSIONS: Using a participatory design, we successfully identified multiple innovative solutions with the potential to improve person-centred and integrated type 2 diabetes care in Australia. These solutions will inform the implementation and evaluation of a redesigned care model by our team.

Designing an Informatics Infrastructure for a National Aged Care Medication Roundtable.

In the residential aged care sector medication management has been identified as a major area of concern contributing to poor outcomes and quality of life for residents. Monitoring medication management in residential aged care in Australia has been highly reliant on small, internal audits. The introduction of electronic medication administration systems provides new opportunities to establish improved methods for ongoing, timely and efficient monitoring of a range of medication indicators, made more meaningful by linking medication data with resident characteristics and outcomes. Benchmarking contemporary medication indicators provides a further opportunity for improvement and is most effective when indicator data are adjusted to take account of confounding factors, such as residents' characteristics and health conditions. Roundtables provide a structure for sharing and discussing indicator data in a trusted and supportive environment and encourage the identification of strategies which may be effective in improving medication management. This paper describes a new project to establish, implement and evaluate a National Aged Care Medication Roundtable.

Measuring the success of programmes of care for people living with dementia: a protocol for consensus building with consumers to develop a set of Core Outcome Measures for Improving Care (COM-IC).

INTRODUCTION: The Core Outcome Measures for Improving Care (COM-IC) project aims to deliver practical recommendations on the selection and implementation of a suite of core outcomes to measure the effectiveness of interventions for dementia care. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: COM-IC embeds a participatory action approach to using the Alignment-Harmonisation-Results framework for measuring dementia care in Australia. Using this framework, suitable core outcome measures will be identified, analysed, implemented and audited. The methods for analysing each stage will be codesigned with stakeholders, through the conduit of a Stakeholder Reference Group including people living with dementia, formal and informal carers, aged care industry representatives, researchers, clinicians and policy actors. The codesigned evaluation methods consider two key factors: feasibility and acceptability. These considerations will be tested during a 6-month feasibility study embedded in aged care industry partner organisations. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: COM-IC has received ethical approval from The University of Queensland (HREC 2021/HE001932). Results will be disseminated through networks established over the project, and in accordance with both the publication schedule and requests from the Stakeholder Reference Group. Full access to publications and reports will be made available through UQ eSpace (https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/), an open access repository hosted by The University of Queensland.

Quality and safety in residential aged care: an evaluation of a national quality indicator programme.

BACKGROUND: In Australia, 243 000 individuals live in approximately 2700 residential aged care facilities yearly. In 2019, a National Aged Care Mandatory Quality Indicator programme (QI programme) was implemented to monitor the quality and safety of care in facilities. AIM: To examine the validity of the QI programme indicators using explicit measure review criteria. METHODS: The QI programme manual and reports were reviewed. A modified American College of Physicians Measure Review Criteria was employed to examine the QI programme's eight indicators. Five authors rated each indicator on importance, appropriateness, clinical evidence, specifications and feasibility using a nine-point scale. A median score of 1-3 was considered to not meet criteria, 4-6 to meet some criteria and 7-9 to meet criteria. RESULTS: All indicators, except polypharmacy, met criteria (median scores = 7-9) for importance, appropriateness and clinical evidence. Polypharmacy met some criteria for importance (median = 6, range 2-8), appropriateness (median = 5, range 2-8) and clinical evidence (median = 6, range 3-8). Pressure injury, physical restraints, significant unplanned weight loss, consecutive unplanned weight loss, falls and polypharmacy indicators met some criteria for specifications validity (all median scores = 5) and feasibility and applicability (median scores = 4 to 6). Antipsychotic use and falls resulting in major injury met some criteria for specifications (median = 6-7, range 4-8) and met criteria for feasibility and applicability (median = 7, range 4-8). CONCLUSIONS: Australia's National QI programme is a major stride towards a culture of quality promotion, improvement and transparency. Measures' specifications, feasibility and applicability could be improved to ensure the programme delivers on its intended purposes.

Sitting less and moving more for improved metabolic and brain health in type 2 diabetes: 'OPTIMISE your health' trial protocol.

BACKGROUND: Clinical practice guidelines recommend that adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D) sit less and move more throughout the day. The 18-month OPTIMISE Your Health Clinical Trial was developed to support desk-based workers with T2D achieve these recommendations. The two-arm protocol consists of an intervention and control arms. The intervention arm receives 6 months health coaching, a sit-stand desktop workstation and an activity tracker, followed by 6 months of text message support, then 6 months maintenance. The control arm receives a delayed modified intervention after 12 months of usual care. This paper describes the methods of a randomised controlled trial (RCT) evaluating the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the intervention, compared to a delayed intervention control. METHODS: This is a two-arm RCT being conducted in Melbourne, Australia. Desk-based workers (≥0.8 full-time equivalent) aged 35-65 years, ambulatory, and with T2D and managed glycaemic control (6.5-10.0% HbA1c), are randomised to the multicomponent intervention (target n = 125) or delayed-intervention control (target n = 125) conditions. All intervention participants receive 6 months of tailored health coaching assisting them to "sit less" and "move more" at work and throughout the day, supported by a sit-stand desktop workstation and an activity tracker (Fitbit). Participants receive text message-based extended care for a further 6-months (6-12 months) followed by 6-months of non-contact (12-18 months: maintenance). Delayed intervention occurs at 12-18 months for the control arm. Assessments are undertaken at baseline, 3, 6, 12, 15 and 18-months. Primary outcomes are activPAL-measured sitting time (h/16 h day), glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c; %, mmol/mol) and, cognitive function measures (visual learning and new memory; Paired Associates Learning Total Errors [adjusted]). Secondary, exploratory, and process outcomes will also be collected throughout the trial. DISCUSSION: The OPTIMISE Your Health trial will provide unique insights into the benefits of an intervention aimed at sitting less and moving more in desk-bound office workers with T2D, with outcomes relevant to glycaemic control, and to cardiometabolic and brain health. Findings will contribute new insights to add to the evidence base on initiating and maintaining behaviour change with clinical populations and inform practice in diabetes management. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ANZCTRN12618001159246 .

A qualitative analysis of the needs and wishes of people with type 2 diabetes and healthcare professionals for optimal diabetes care.

AIM: Globally, type 2 diabetes care is often fragmented and still organised in a provider-centred way, resulting in suboptimal care for many individuals. As healthcare systems seek to implement digital care innovations, it is timely to reassess stakeholders' priorities to guide the redesign of diabetes care. This study aimed to identify the needs and wishes of people with type 2 diabetes, and specialist and primary care teams regarding optimal diabetes care to explore how to better support people with diabetes in a metropolitan healthcare service in Australia. METHODS: Our project was guided by a Participatory Design approach and this paper reports part of the first step, identification of needs. We conducted four focus groups and 16 interviews (November 2019-January 2020) with 17 adults with type 2 diabetes and seven specialist clinicians from a diabetes outpatient clinic in Brisbane, Australia, and seven primary care professionals from different clinics in Brisbane. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis, building on the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation and Behaviour model. RESULTS: People with diabetes expressed the wish to be equipped, supported and recognised for their efforts in a holistic way, receive personalised care at the right time and improved access to connected services. Healthcare professionals agreed and expressed their own burden regarding their challenging work. Overall, both groups desired holistic, personalised, supportive, proactive and coordinated care pathways. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that there is an alignment of the perceived needs and wishes for improved diabetes care among key stakeholders, however, important gaps remain in the healthcare system.

Same goals, different challenges: A systematic review of perspectives of people with diabetes and healthcare professionals on Type 2 diabetes care.

AIMS: To identify the views of people with Type 2 diabetes (PWD) and healthcare professionals (HCP) about diabetes care. METHODS: A systematic review of qualitative studies reporting both groups' views using thematic synthesis frameworked by the eHealth Enhanced Chronic Care Model was conducted. RESULTS: We searched six electronic databases between 2010 and 2020, identified 6999 studies and included 21. Thirty themes were identified with in general complementary views between PWD and HCP. PWD and HCP find lifestyle changes challenging and get frustrated when PWD struggle to achieve it. Good self-management requires a trustful PWD-HCP relationship. Diabetes causes distress and often HCP focus on clinical aspects. They value diabetes education. PWD require broader, tailored, consistent and ongoing information, but HCPs do not have enough time for providing it. There is need for diabetes training for primary HCP. Shared decision making can mitigate PWD's fears. Different sources of social support can influence PWD's ability to self-manage and PWD/HCP suggest online peer groups. PWD/HCP indicate lack of communication and collaboration between HCP. PWD's and HCP's views about quality in diabetes care differ. They believe that comprehensive, multidisciplinary and locally provided care can help to achieve better outcomes. They recognise digital health benefits, with room for personal interaction (PWD) and eHealth literacy improvements (HCP). Evidence-based guidelines are important but can detract from personalised care. CONCLUSION: We hypothesise that including PWD's and HCP's complementary views, multidisciplinary teams and digital tools in the redesign of Type 2 diabetes care can help with overcoming some of the challenges and achieving common goals.

Does Telehealth Delivery of a Dyadic Dementia Care Program Provide a Noninferior Alternative to Face-To-Face Delivery of the Same Program? A Randomized, Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine whether delivery of a dyadic intervention using telehealth was noninferior to delivery of the same program using traditional face-to-face delivery through home visits. DESIGN: We conducted a noninferiority randomized controlled trial. PARTICIPANTS: Participants had a diagnosis of dementia, were living in the community, and had an informal caregiver who reported difficulties in managing activities of daily living or behavioral symptoms. INTERVENTION: Participants were randomized to receive either telehealth or home visit delivery of the same intervention program. MEASUREMENTS: The primary outcome was the Caregiving Mastery Index, secondary outcomes included caregiver's perceptions of change, activities of daily living function, and type and frequency of behavioral symptoms of persons living with dementia. Therapists delivering the intervention recorded the time spent delivering the intervention as well as travel time. RESULTS: Sixty-three dyads were recruited and randomized. Both groups reported improvements for the primary outcome, however, these were not statistically significant. There were no significant differences between groups for the primary outcome (mean difference 0.09 (95% confidence interval -1.26 to 1.45) or the secondary outcomes at 4 months. Both groups reported significant improvements in caregiver's perceptions of change. The amount of time spent delivering the content of the program was similar between groups, however offering the intervention via telehealth significantly reduced travel time (mean 255.9 minutes versus mean 77.2 minutes, p <0.0001). CONCLUSION: It is feasible to offer dyadic interventions via telehealth and doing so reduces travel time and results in similar benefits for families.

Adding value to remote monitoring: Co-design of a health literacy intervention for older people with chronic disease delivered by telehealth - The telehealth literacy project.

OBJECTIVE: To co-design, test and evaluate a health literacy, chronic disease self-management and social support intervention for older people delivered by group videoconferencing into the home. METHOD: The Telehealth Literacy Project (THLP) was a mixed methods, quasi-experimental, non-randomised trial nested within a telehealth remote monitoring study. An intervention group (n = 52) participated in five, weekly videoconference group meetings lasting for 1.5 h and a control group (n = 60) received remote monitoring only. Outcomes were measured using the nine-scale Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ) and two scales of the Health Education Impact Questionnaire (heiQ). Semi-structured interviews and focus group data were thematically analysed. RESULT: At 3 month follow-up, univariate analysis identified small effects in the intervention group only, with improved health literacy behaviours (five HLQ scales) and self-management skills (two heiQ scales). ANOVA of HLQ scales indicated no significant differences between the two groups over time indicating a contributing effect of the remote monitoring project. Intervention participants reported improved perception of companionship, emotional and informational support. CONCLUSION: The THLP delivered with telemonitoring indicates potential to improve social support and some health literacy factors in older people. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Patient education can be delivered by group videoconferencing.

Evaluation of the efficacy of 3D total-body photography with sequential digital dermoscopy in a high-risk melanoma cohort: protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Melanoma is Australia's fourth most common cancer. Early detection is fundamental in maximising health outcomes and minimising treatment costs. To date, population-based screening programmes have not been justified in health economic studies. However, a skin surveillance approach targeting high-risk individuals could improve the cost-benefit ratio. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This paper describes a 2-year longitudinal randomised controlled trial (RCT) to compare routine clinical care (control) with an intensive skin surveillance programme (intervention) consisting of novel three-dimensional (3D) total-body photography (TBP), sequential digital dermoscopy and melanoma-risk stratification, in a high-risk melanoma cohort. Primary outcomes will evaluate clinical, economic and consumer impact of the intervention. Clinical outcomes will evaluate differences in the rate of lesion excisions/biopsies per person, benign to malignant ratio for excisions and thickness of melanomas diagnosed. A health economic analysis using government data repositories will capture healthcare utilisation and costs relating to skin surveillance. Consumer questionnaires will examine intervention acceptability, the psychological impact, and attitudes towards melanoma risk and sun protective behaviour. Secondary outcomes include the development of a holistic risk algorithm incorporating clinical, phenotypic and genetic factors to facilitate the identification of those most likely to benefit from this surveillance approach. Furthermore, the feasibility of integrating the intervention with teledermatology to enhance specialist care in remote locations will be evaluated. This will be the first RCT to compare a targeted surveillance programme utilising new 3D TBP technology against current routine clinical care for individuals at high risk of melanoma. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study has received Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) approval from both Metro South Health HREC (HREC/17/QPAH/816) and The University of Queensland HREC (2018000074). TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ANZCTR12618000267257; Pre-results.

CareTrack Aged: the appropriateness of care delivered to Australians living in residential aged care facilities: a study protocol.

INTRODUCTION: The aged population is increasing rapidly across the world and this is expected to continue. People living in residential aged care facilities (RACFs) represent amongst the sickest and frailest cohort of the aged population, with a high prevalence of chronic conditions and complex comorbidities. Given the vulnerability of RACF residents and the demands on the system, there is a need to determine the extent that care is delivered in line with best practice ('appropriate care') in RACFs. There is also a recognition that systems should provide care that optimises quality of life (QoL), which includes support for physical and psychological well-being, independence, social relationships, personal beliefs and a caring external environment. The aims of CareTrack Aged are to develop sets of indicators for appropriate care and processes of care for commonly managed conditions, and then assess the appropriateness of care delivered and QoL of residents in RACFs in Australia. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will extract recommendations from clinical practice guidelines and, using expert review, convert these into sets of indicators for 15 common conditions and processes of care for people living in RACFs. We will recruit RACFs in three Australian states, and residents within these RACFs, using a stratified multistage sampling method. Experienced nurses, trained in the CareTrack Aged methods ('surveyors'), will review care records of recruited residents within a 1-month period in 2019 and 2020, and assess the care documented against the indicators of appropriate care. Surveyors will concurrently assess residents' QoL using validated questionnaires. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study has been reviewed and approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of Macquarie University (5201800386). The research findings will be published in international and national journals and disseminated through conferences and presentations to interested stakeholder groups, including consumers, national agencies, healthcare professionals, policymakers and researchers.

A Systematic Literature Review of Efficiency Measurement in Nursing Homes.

Background: As our population ages at an increasing rate, the demand for nursing homes is rising. The challenge will be for nursing homes to maintain efficiency with limited resources while not compromising quality. This study aimed to review the nursing home efficiency literature to survey the application of efficiency methods and the measurements of inputs, outputs, facility characteristics and operational environment, with a special focus on quality measurement. Methods: We systematically searched three databases for eligible studies published in English between January 1995 and December 2018, supplemented by an exhaustive search of reference lists of included studies. The studies included were available in full text, their units of analysis were nursing homes, and the analytical methods and efficiency scores were clearly reported. Results: We identified 39 studies meeting the inclusion criteria, of which 31 accounted for quality measures. Standard efficiency measurement techniques, data envelopment analysis and stochastic frontier method, and their specifications (orientation, returns to scale, functional forms and error term assumptions) were adequately applied. Measurements of inputs, outputs and control variables were relatively homogenous while quality measures varied. Notably, most studies did not include all three quality dimensions (structure, process and outcome). One study claimed to include quality of life; however, it was not a well-validated and widely used measure. The impacts of quality on efficiency estimates were mixed. The effect of quality on the ranking of nursing home efficiency was rarely reported. Conclusions: When measuring nursing home efficiency, it is crucial to adjust for quality of care and resident's quality of life because the ultimate output of nursing homes is quality-adjusted days living in the facility. Quality measures should reflect their multidimensionality and not be limited to quality of throughput (health-related events). More reliable estimation of nursing home efficiencies will require better routine data collection within the facility, where well-validated quality measures become an essential part of the minimum data requirement. It is also recommended that different efficiency methods and assumptions, and alternative measures of inputs, outputs and quality, are used for sensitivity analyses to ensure the robustness and validity of findings.

Fecal Incontinence Is Associated With Mortality Among Older Adults With Complex Needs: An Observational Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVES: Fecal incontinence (FI) is a problem in growing older populations. Validating a suspected association between FI and mortality in community dwelling older adults could lead to improved planning for and management of the increasing complex older population. In a large cohort of New Zealand older adults, we assessed the prevalence of FI, urinary incontinence (UI), combined FI and UI, and their associations with mortality. METHODS: This study consisted of a retrospective analysis of international standardized geriatric assessment-home care (InterRAI-HC) data from community-dwelling adults aged 65 years or older, who met the criteria required for the InterRAI-HC, having complex needs and being under consideration for residential care. The prevalence of UI and FI was analyzed. Data were adjusted for demography and 25 confounding factors. Mortality was the primary outcome measure. RESULTS: The total cohort consisted of 41,932 older adults. Both UI and FI were associated with mortality (P<0.001), and risk of mortality increased with increased frequency of incontinence. In the adjusted model, FI remained significantly related to survival (P<0.001), whereas UI did not (P=0.31). Increased frequency of FI was associated with an increased likelihood of death (hazard ratio 1.28). CONCLUSIONS: This large national study is the first study to prove a statistically significant relationship between FI and mortality in a large, old and functionally impaired community. These findings will help improve the management of increasingly complex older populations.

Theoretical frameworks in telemedicine research.

The purposive use of theory is a foundational component of research, which underpins the design, methodology, measures, interventions, and interpretation of the research project. This should be considered from the time the nascent idea of the research is born, until the final interpretation of results and write up of the discussion. Several theories relevant to telemedicine are described, discussed, and linked to typical research questions in the field.

Can videoconferencing affect older people's engagement and perception of their social support in long-term conditions management: a social network analysis from the Telehealth Literacy Project.

Social support is a key component in managing long-term conditions. As people age in their homes, there is a greater risk of social isolation, which can be ameliorated by informal support networks. This study examined the relationship between changes in social support networks for older people living in a regional area following weekly videoconference groups delivered to the home. Between February and June 2014, we delivered 44 weekly group meetings via videoconference to participants in a regional town in Australia. The meetings provided participants with education and an opportunity to discuss health issues and connect with others in similar circumstances. An uncontrolled, pre-post-test methodology was employed. A social network tool was completed by 45 (87%) participants either pre- or post-intervention, of which 24 (46%) participants completed the tool pre- and post-intervention. In addition, 14 semi-structured interviews and 4 focus groups were conducted. Following the intervention, participants identified increased membership of their social networks, although they did not identify individuals from the weekly videoconference groups. The most important social support networks remained the same pre- and post-intervention namely, health professionals, close family and partners. However, post-intervention participants identified friends and wider family as more important to managing their chronic condition compared to pre-intervention. Participants derived social support, in particular, companionship, emotional and informational support as well as feeling more engaged with life, from the weekly videoconference meetings. Videoconference education groups delivered into the home can provide social support and enhance self-management for older people with chronic conditions. They provide the opportunity to develop a virtual social support network containing new and diverse social connections.

Updating the Cognitive Performance Scale.

This study presents the first update of the Cognitive Performance Scale (CPS) in 20 years. Its goals are 3-fold: extend category options; characterize how the new scale variant tracks with the Mini-Mental State Examination; and present a series of associative findings. Secondary analysis of data from 3733 older adults from 8 countries was completed. Examination of scale dimensions using older and new items was completed using a forward-entry stepwise regression. The revised scale was validated by examining the scale's distribution with a self-reported dementia diagnosis, functional problems, living status, and distress measures. Cognitive Performance Scale 2 extends the measurement metric from a range of 0 to 6 for the original CPS, to 0 to 8. Relating CPS2 to other measures of function, living status, and distress showed that changes in these external measures correspond with increased challenges in cognitive performance. Cognitive Performance Scale 2 enables repeated assessments, sensitive to detect changes particularly in early levels of cognitive decline.

An empirical comparison of the OPQoL-Brief, EQ-5D-3 L and ASCOT in a community dwelling population of older people.

BACKGROUND: This study examined the relationships between a newly developed older person-specific non-preference-based quality of life (QoL) instrument (Older People's Quality of Life brief questionnaire (OPQoL-brief)) and two generic preference-based instruments (the EQ-5D-3L Level (EQ-5D-3 L) and the Adult Social Care Outcomes Toolkit (ASCOT) in a community-dwelling population of Australian older people receiving aged care services. METHODS: We formulated hypotheses about the convergent validity between the instruments (examined by Wilcoxon-Mann Whitney, Kruskal Wallis and Spearman's correlation tests) and levels of agreement (assessed using intra class correlation (ICC) and modified Bland-Altman plots based on normalized Z EQ-5D-3 L and ASCOT utilities and OPQoL-Brief summary scores). RESULTS: The utilities/summary scores for 87 participants (aged 65-93 years) were moderately but positively correlated. Moderate convergent validity was evident for a number of instrument dimensions with the strongest relationship (r = 0.57) between 'enjoy life' (OPQoL-Brief) and 'social contact' (ASCOT). The overall ICC was 0.54 and Bland-Altman scatter plots showed 3-6% of normalized Z-scores were outside the 95% limits of agreement suggesting moderate agreement between all three instruments (agreement highest between the OPQoL-Brief and the ASCOT). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the OPQoL-Brief, the ASCOT and the EQ-5D_3L are suitable for measuring quality of life outcomes in community-dwelling populations of older people. Given the different constructs underpinning these instruments, we recommend that choice of instrument should be guided by the context in which the instruments are being applied. Currently, the OPQoL-Brief is not suitable for use in cost-utility analyses as it is not preference-based. Given their different perspectives, we recommend that both the ASCOT and the EQ-5D are applied simultaneously to capture broader aspects of quality of life and health status within cost-utility analyses within the aged care sector. Future research directed towards the development of a new single preference-based instrument that incorporates both health status and broader aspects of quality of life within quality adjusted life year calculations for older people would be beneficial.

Structural quality indicators to support quality of care for older people with cognitive impairment in emergency departments.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to identify the structural quality of care domains and to establish a set of structural quality indicators (SQIs) for the assessment of care of older people with cognitive impairment in emergency departments (EDs). METHODS: A structured approach to SQI development was undertaken including: 1) a comprehensive search of peer-reviewed and gray literature focusing on identification of evidence-based interventions targeting structure of care of older patients with cognitive impairment and existing SQIs; 2) a consultative process engaging experts in the care of older people and epidemiologic methods (i.e., advisory panel) leading to development of a draft set of SQIs; 3) field testing of drafted SQIs in eight EDs, leading to refinement of the SQI set; and 4) an independent voting process among the panelists for SQI inclusion in a final set, using preestablished inclusion and exclusion criteria. RESULTS: At the conclusion of the process, five SQIs targeting the management of older ED patients with cognitive impairment were developed: 1) the ED has a policy outlining the management of older people with cognitive impairment during the ED episode of care; 2) the ED has a policy outlining issues relevant to carers of older people with cognitive impairment, encompassing the need to include the (family) carer in the ED episode of care; 3) the ED has a policy outlining the assessment and management of behavioral symptoms, with specific reference to older people with cognitive impairment; 4) the ED has a policy outlining delirium prevention strategies, including the assessment of patients' delirium risk factors; and 5) the ED has a policy outlining pain assessment and management for older people with cognitive impairment. CONCLUSIONS: This article presents a set of SQIs for the evaluation of performance in caring for older people with cognitive impairment in EDs.