Study designs of evaluations included in the review
Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) were included.
Specific interventions included in the review
Home visits to elderly people, aimed at the prevention or reduction of problems and risks related to ageing. Home visits were carried out by nurses, social workers, health educators, health visitors or physician's assistants. In most of the included trials, the intervention was aimed at the general population of elderly people aged 65 years or over without a specific selection. Six trials focused on people aged 75 or over. In only one trial was the intervention aimed at patients with specific risk factors. In nine trials the interventions lasted more than 2 years, and in seven trials the intervention consisted of at least two visits a year. In general, preventive home visits were tailored to the needs of the individual participants.
For a study to be included in the review, a multidimensional evaluation of the problems and resources in at least two of the following categories had to be performed during the home visit: medical, functional, psychosocial or environmental. This evaluation resulted in specific recommendations aimed at reducing or treating the observed problems and preventing new ones.
Participants included in the review
Elderly people aged 65 years and over living in the community. In eligible studies, the home visits were not exclusively aimed at patients who had been discharged from hospital or at helping patients to cope with a specific illness.
Outcomes assessed in the review
For a study to be included in the review, data on at least one of the following outcome measures had to be presented: physical function, psychosocial function, falls, admissions to institutions and mortality.
How were decisions on the relevance of primary studies made?
The inclusion criteria were applied independently by two reviewers in two stages. The reviewers were blinded to author, institution and journal name in the second stage. Any disagreement between the reviewers was resolved by consensus.