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Background: The Older Persons and Informal Caregivers Minimum Data Set (TOPICS-MDS) is a standardized data set that was developed to evaluate the quality of multidimensional geriatric care. There is an inherent need to reduce the number of TOPICS-MDS survey items to core outcomes to allow it to be more easily applied as a patient-reported outcome measure in clinical settings.Objectives: To create a TOPICS-short form (TOPICS-SF) and examine its validity.Methods: Data in the TOPICS-MDS from persons aged 65 years and older in the Netherlands were used for the following analyses. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to select the items and to derive domain weights of TOPICS-SF. A priori hypotheses were made on the basis of psychometric properties of the full-length TOPICS-MDS preference-weighted score (TOPICS-CEP). The validity of TOPICS-SF was evaluated by 1) examining the meta-correlation of the TOPICS-SF score with TOPICS-CEP and two quality-of-life measures, that is, the Cantril Ladder score and the EuroQol five-dimensional questionnaire utility index, and 2) performing mixed multiple regression of TOPICS-SF scores across key sociodemographic characteristics.Results: TOPICS-SF scores were strongly correlated with the TOPICS-CEP (r = 0.96) and had stronger correlation with the EuroQol five-dimensional questionnaire utility index compared with the Cantril Ladder (r = 0.61 and 0.38, respectively). TOPICS-SF scores were higher among older persons who were married, living independently, and having higher levels of education.Conclusions: We have developed the 22-item TOPICS-SF and demonstrated its validity, supporting its use as a patient-reported outcome measure in geriatric care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To independently assess the inter-rater reliability of the International Dementia Alliance (IDEAL) schedule in Ireland and to examine criterion validity for cognitive functioning and caregiver distress.Methods: Two raters independently completed the IDEAL schedule based on an interview with persons diagnosed with dementia and their informal caregivers. The Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) scale and the Zarit Burden Interview were used as reference standards for criterion validity. Intraclass coefficients (ICCs) and correlations (Spearman's ρ) were derived.Results: ICCs for the IDEAL subdomains ranged from 0.77 to 1.00, indicating robust agreement between raters. Strong correlations between the CDR and the IDEAL cognitive functioning domain (ρ = 0.82) and overall summary score (ρ = 0.77) were observed. The Zarit Burden Interview and the IDEAL carer distress subdomain were moderately correlated (ρ = 0.56).Conclusion: This study confirmed that the IDEAL schedule is a valid and reliable instrument in the Irish population and further supports the international use of the IDEAL schedule. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: To determine the population-based rates of severe maternal morbidity during childbirth hospitalisation and associated characteristics in the Republic of Ireland and to directly compare incidence rates with Australia. Study design: Retrospective cohort study of 330,955 childbirth hospitalisations between 2005 and 2009. Using validated diagnostic criteria from Australia, we examined hospital discharge records (ICD-10-AM) to identify likely cases of severe maternal morbidity. We derived overall and category-specific morbidity incidence rates and examined five-year trends. Unadjusted relative risks were computed to assess sociodemographic and obstetric factors associated with morbidity status. Results: The severe maternal morbidity five-year incidence rate was 1.34 per 100 deliveries. Between 2005 and 2009, the overall rate of severe morbidity significantly increased from 1.31 to 1.55 cases per 100 deliveries (test for trend p-value <0.001). Similar to Australia, the most frequently diagnosed severe morbidity indicators in Ireland were blood transfusion (112.6 per 10,000 deliveries), evacuation of haematoma (7.2 per 10,000 deliveries) and dilation and curettage with general anaesthesia (3.9 per 10,000 deliveries). In the Irish cohort, the risk of severe morbidity was more than three-fold (RR 3.48; 95% CI: 3.06–3.95) among women carrying multiple gestations and more than four-fold (RR 4.37; 95% CI: 3.66–5.22) among women with a stillbirth. Further, severe morbidity risk was 2.62 times higher among women with a pre-existing medical condition (RR 2.62; CI 2.03–3.37). Conclusion: Our use of low-cost administrative data to identify severe maternal morbidity contributes to a growing body of international initiatives to inform preventive efforts. The ability to directly compare morbidity rates is advantageous, underscoring the need for a uniform definition of severe morbidity to promote accurate and reliable international comparisons. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]