Evidence map›Paper›PMID 18313501›Full record

SynthesisLancet (London, England)2008

Complex interventions to improve physical function and maintain independent living in elderly people: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Andrew D Beswick, Karen Rees, Paul Dieppe, Salma Ayis, Rachael Gooberman-Hill, Jeremy Horwood, Shah Ebrahim

Open access · bronzeAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Lancet (London, England), 2008. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 276 papers, 18 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
276citing papers in PubMed, 18 pooled it
17.7field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

276 citing papers in PubMed, 18 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 783 citations in OpenAlex.

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216 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Andrew D BeswickDepartment of Social Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK. andy.beswick@bristol.ac.uk
Karen Rees
Paul Dieppe
Salma Ayis
Rachael Gooberman-Hill
Jeremy Horwood
Shah Ebrahim
University of Bristol · GBNuffield Orthopaedic Centre · GBUniversity of London · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIn old age, reduction in physical function leads to loss of independence, the need for hospital and long-term nursing-home care, and premature death. We did a systematic review to assess the effectiveness of community-based complex interventions in preservation of physical function and independence in elderly people.

methodsWe searched systematically for randomised controlled trials assessing community-based multifactorial interventions in elderly people (mean age at least 65 years) living at home with at least 6 months of follow-up. Outcomes studied were living at home, death, nursing-home and hospital admissions, falls, and physical function. We did a meta-analysis of the extracted data.

findingsWe identified 89 trials including 97 984 people. Interventions reduced the risk of not living at home (relative risk [RR] 0.95, 95% CI 0.93-0.97). Interventions reduced nursing-home admissions (0.87, 0.83-0.90), but not death (1.00, 0.97-1.02). Risk of hospital admissions (0.94, 0.91-0.97) and falls (0.90, 0.86-0.95) were reduced, and physical function (standardised mean difference -0.08, -0.11 to -0.06) was better in the intervention groups than in other groups. Benefit for any specific type or intensity of intervention was not noted. In populations with increased death rates, interventions were associated with reduced nursing-home admission. Benefit in trials was particularly evident in studies started before 1993.

interpretationComplex interventions can help elderly people to live safely and independently, and could be tailored to meet individuals' needs and preferences.

Indexed as

Health StatusActivities of Daily LivingAgedCommunity NetworksFrail ElderlyGeriatric AssessmentHousing for the ElderlyHumansMortalityPatient DischargeRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicRisk

Identifiers

PMID18313501
PMCPMC2262920
OpenAlexW2123193855

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.