Evaluating Interprofessional Health Needs Assessment to Improve Quality of Life in Home-Dwelling Older Adults

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating the Interprofessional Health Needs Assessment IHNA to improve the health and social care quality for older adults living at home. This trial focuses on adults aged 65 and older who are applying for municipal health and care services. The study aims to determine the impact of IHNA on health-related quality of life after 12 months, along with effects on social care-related quality of life, survival, health service use, and quality-adjusted life years QALYs at 6 and 12 months. Participants in the intervention group will be assessed by interprofessional teams using the IHNA procedure, which involves several screening tools evaluating mobility, cognition, mental health, nutrition, oral health, vision, hearing, daily activities, social connections, and physical and behavioral health. Based on these assessments, the team will collaborate with participants to decide on health service allocation, referrals, and preventive or health promotion interventions. The control group will receive the standard municipal assessment and usual service allocation. During the trial, participants will be followed for up to 12 months with assessments at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months. These include evaluations of health-related quality of life, self-rated health, social care quality of life, survival status, health care usage, and QALYs. The study will monitor participants health and service use to understand the effects of IHNA compared to usual care, with data collected to support these outcome measures and cost-effectiveness analysis.

Interprofessional Health Needs Assessment (IHNA) for Older Adults Living at Home