Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34794991›Full record

SynthesisBMJ open2021

Systematic review of 29 self-report instruments for assessing quality of life in older adults receiving aged care services.

Joyce Siette, Gilbert Thomas Knaggs, Yvonne Zurynski, Julie Ratcliffe, Laura Dodds, Johanna Westbrook

Open access · goldAbstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMJ open, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 36 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
36citing papers in PubMed, 5 pooled it
12.8field-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

36 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 63 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Pooled it
  6. Article
  7. Observational
  8. Article
  9. Norwegian translation and adaptation of the INT4 version of the Adult Social Care Outcomes Toolkit (ASCOT).Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2026
    Article
  10. Article
  11. Review
  12. Article
  13. Use of the adult social care outcomes toolkit (ASCOT) in research studies: an international scoping review.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2025
    Article
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. The Short Form 6 Dimensions (SF-6D): Development and Evolution.Applied health economics and health policy · 2025
    Review
  19. Article
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Joyce SietteCentre for Health Systems and Safety Research, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia joyce.siette@mq.edu.au.ORCID 0000-0001-9568-5847
Gilbert Thomas KnaggsNHMRC Partnership Centre for Health Systems Sustainability, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-4710-6104
Yvonne ZurynskiNHMRC Partnership Centre for Health Systems Sustainability, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-7744-8717
Julie RatcliffeHealth and Social Care Economics Group, Caring Futures Institute, Flinders University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-7365-1988
Laura DoddsCentre for Health Systems and Safety Research, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Johanna WestbrookCentre for Health Systems and Safety Research, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Macquarie University · AUNational Health and Medical Research Council · AUFlinders University · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundQuality of life (QoL) outcomes are used to monitor quality of care for older adults accessing aged care services, yet it remains unclear which QoL instruments best meet older adults', providers' and policymakers' needs. This review aimed to (1) identify QoL instruments used in aged care and describe them in terms of QoL domains measured and logistical details; (2) summarise in which aged care settings the instruments have been used and (3) discuss factors to consider in deciding on the suitability of QoL instruments for use in aged care services.

designSystematic review. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library and CINAHL from inception to 2021. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Instruments were included if they were designed for adults (>18 years), available in English, been applied in a peer-reviewed research study examining QoL outcomes in adults >65 years accessing aged care (including home/social care, residential/long-term care) and had reported psychometrics. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Two researchers independently reviewed the measures and extracted the data. Data synthesis was performed via narrative review of eligible instruments.

results292 articles reporting on 29 QoL instruments were included. Eight domains of QoL were addressed: physical health, mental health, emotional state, social connection, environment, autonomy and overall QoL. The period between 1990 and 2000 produced the greatest number of newly developed instruments. The EuroQoL-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D) and Short Form-series were used across multiple aged care contexts including home and residential care. More recent instruments (eg, ICEpop CAPability measure for Older people (ICECAP-O) and Adult Social Care Outcomes Toolkit (ASCOT)) tend to capture emotional sentiment towards personal circumstances and higher order care needs, in comparison with more established instruments (eg, EQ-5D) which are largely focused on health status.

conclusionsA comprehensive list of QoL instruments and their characteristics is provided to inform instrument choice for use in research or for care quality assurance in aged care settings, depending on needs and interests of users.

Indexed as

Health StatusQuality of LifeAgedHumansMental HealthPsychometricsSelf Reportmental healthold age psychiatryquality in health care

Identifiers

PMID34794991
PMCPMC8603300
OpenAlexW3213838250

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
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.