Study designs of evaluations included in the review
No inclusion criteria relating to the study design were defined. The included studies were randomised controlled trials (RCTs), retrospective analyses and descriptive studies.
Specific interventions included in the review
The inclusion criteria were care management programmes to improve patient outcome or to reduce health care utilisation. No further definition was given. In the included studies, the interventions varied and consisted of differing methods of patient education (e.g. written and video), monitoring (including telephone and electronic), out-patient or home visits. The interventions were delivered by a varied combination of physicians, cardiologists, nurses, pharmacists, social workers, dieticians, physical therapists and care managers.
Participants included in the review
Studies of 'older people' (not defined) with CHF were sought. A study of adults with a mean age of 54 years was excluded. Studies that included some participants with other diagnoses were excluded. There was no further information about the ages, gender or severity of illness of the participants in the included studies.
Outcomes assessed in the review
The authors looked for the broad outcome of any measurable result. In the included studies, the outcomes included those related to hospital admissions, length of stay, out-patient visits, as well as mortality, patient satisfaction, quality of life, appropriateness of medication and subjective function tests (e.g. New York Heart Association Classification, Duke Activity Index, ability to perform tasks).
How were decisions on the relevance of primary studies made?
The authors did not state how the papers were selected for the review, or how many reviewers performed the selection.