The effectiveness of predischarge home assessment visits: a systematic review

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of predischarge home assessment vi sits for elderly patients. Design: Systematic review. Methods: A computer-aided search was conducted using the databases of Medli ne and Cinahl. Any studies investigating predischarge home assessment visit s were included in the analysis. Results. No randomized controlled trials were found. Only five studies (two retrospective surveys, three observational surveys) were identified. In fo ur of these, a possible benefit for home visiting was suggested. Conclusions: Little evidence exists for the effectiveness of predischarge h ome assessment visits. Further research is needed to establish their value.