Effectiveness of the geriatric day hospital – a realist review

Abstract

This research paper is a realist review on the effectiveness of medical care for older people in the geriatric day hospital (GDH), based on trial data from a Cochrane review published in 2008. The Cochrane review indicated no overall difference between GDH care and alternative services. However, health care management and policy interventions are quite complex and methodologically more diverse than clinical treatments. Hence a ‘realist review’ is a more suitable explanatory analysis, aimed at discerning what works for whom, in what circumstances, in what respect, and how. This realist review on GDH care provides an explanatory analysis and has aimed to identify where GDH care is and is not effective.