Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38671489›Full record

ArticleBMC health services research2024

Needs assessment in long-term care: expression of national principles for priority setting in service allocation.

Ann Katrin Blø Pedersen, Marianne Sundlisæter Skinner, Maren Sogstad

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC health services research, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

7 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. 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

3 authors.

Ann Katrin Blø PedersenCentre for Care Research, Department of Health Sciences in Gjøvik, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Teknologivegen 22, 2815, Gjøvik, Norway. ann.k.b.pedersen@ntnu.no.
Marianne Sundlisæter SkinnerCentre for Care Research, Department of Health Sciences in Gjøvik, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Teknologivegen 22, 2815, Gjøvik, Norway. marianne.skinner@ntnu.no.
Maren SogstadCentre for Care Research, Department of Health Sciences in Gjøvik, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Teknologivegen 22, 2815, Gjøvik, Norway. maren.sogstad@ntnu.no.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundLong-term care services for older adults are characterised by increasing needs and scarce resources. Political strategies have led to the reorganisation of long-term care services, with an increased focus on "ageing in place" and efficient use of resources. There is currently limited research on the processes by which resource allocation decisions are made by service allocators of long-term care services for older adults. The aim of this study is to explore how three political principles for priority setting in long-term care, resource, severity and benefit, are expressed in service allocation to older adults.

methodsThis qualitative study uses data from semi-structured individual interviews, focus groups and observations of service allocators who assess needs and assign long-term care services to older adults in Norway. The data were supplemented with individual decision letters from the allocation office, granting or denying long-term care services. The data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.

resultsThe allocators drew on all three principles for priority setting when assessing older adults' long-term care needs and allocating services. We found that the three principles pushed in different directions in the allocation process. We identified six themes related to service allocators' expression of the principles: (1) lowest effective level of care as a criterion for service allocation (resource), (2) blanket allocation of low-cost care services (resource), (3) severity of medical and rehabilitation needs (severity), (4) severity of care needs (severity), (5) benefit of generous service allocation (benefit) and (6) benefit of avoiding services (benefit).

conclusionsThe expressions of the three political principles for priority setting in long-term care allocation are in accordance with broader political trends and discourses regarding "ageing in place", active ageing, an investment ideology, and prioritising those who are "worse off". Increasing attention to the rehabilitation potential of older adults and expectations that they will take care of themselves increase the risk of not meeting frail older adults' care needs. Additionally, difficulties in defining the severity of older adults' complex needs lead to debates regarding "worse off" versus potentiality in future long-term care services allocation.

trial registrationNot applicable.

Indexed as

Focus GroupsHealth Care RationingHealth PrioritiesLong-Term CareNeeds AssessmentQualitative ResearchAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHumansInterviews as TopicMaleNorwayResource AllocationAllocationHealth policyNeeds assessmentOlder adultsPriority setting

Identifiers

PMID38671489
PMCPMC11046954

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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.