Appendix B. Detailed Description of Databases Searched with Results

MEDLINE®, produced by the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), is one of the major sources for biomedical literature. MEDLINE® indexes international literature in medicine, dentistry, and nursing. It uses NLM's controlled vocabulary, MeSH (Medical Subject Headings). Approximately 400,000 records are added yearly, with more than 85 percent in English.

Combined Health Information Database (CHID) is a bibliographic database produced by health-related agencies of the Federal Government. CHID provides a wealth of health information, promotion and education materials, and program descriptions that are not indexed elsewhere.

CINAHL is a comprehensive and authoritative source of information for nurses, allied health professionals, and others interested in health care. CINAHL covers all aspects of nursing and 17 allied health disciplines. Journals from biomedicine, alternative therapy, health sciences, health promotion, and consumer health are included.

Current Index to Statistics (CIS) is a bibliographic index to publications in statistics and related fields. References are drawn from 111 core journals that are fully indexed, noncore journals with articles related to statistics, proceedings, and edited books.

Health and Psychosocial Instruments (HAPI) provides descriptions of measurement instruments (e.g., questionnaires, rating scales, tests, index measures, coding schemes, checklists) in the fields of public health, psychology, communication, human resources, medicine, sociology, gerontology, and others. Although HAPI does not contain the actual instruments, it frequently includes information about the source of the instruments. HAPI is updated quarterly.

AgeLine is produced by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) and provides bibliographic coverage of social gerontology—the study of aging in social, psychological, health-related, and economic contexts. The delivery of health care for the older population and its associated costs and policies is particularly well covered, as are public policy, employment, and consumer issues.

PsycFIRST is a subset of the American Psychological Association's PsycINFO database. It provides abstracts to a full range (academic, research, and practice) of psychology literature. Related fields such as social science, organizational behavior, and research methodology are included. The material represents substantive articles from 1,300 international journals and reports as well as book chapters and dissertations.

Wilson Social Science Abstracts provides comprehensive abstracting and indexing of more than 415 core English-language periodicals published in the United States and elsewhere. Coverage includes a wide range of interdisciplinary fields covered in a broad array of social sciences journals. Detailed abstracts describe the content and scope of the source articles.

PSYCLINE indexes more than 2,000 online psychology and social science journals via its Journal Locator and provides access to article databases in psychology via Article Locator. Journal Locator allows the user to find existing journals in a field and browse tables of contents and abstracts. Article Locator offers an interface to table of content and abstracts databases that are maintained by journal publishers or other organizations, not by PSYCLINE. Note: Librarian was able to gain access to only two of the six Article Locator databases, Medline and Kluwer. She had previously searched Medline via the National Library of Medicine web site, with no resulting hits when searching for "assisted living" articles in Kluwer. She noted that she had access to many journals covered in Blackwell, Elsevier, and APA when she searched the other databases chronicled here.

Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition provides more than 550 scholarly full text journals, including nearly 450 peer-reviewed journals focusing on many medical disciplines. Also featured are abstracts and indexing for more than 800 journals. Coverage of nursing, allied health and clinical pharmacology is particularly strong.

Sage Database of Social Research Methodology (SRM) includes more than 45,000 references, most with abstracts, to the literature on social and behavioral research methodology, statistical analysis, and computer software. International in scope, the SRM Database includes journal articles, books, research reports, and proceedings from 1970 to the present with 10 updates a year.

PAIS International, the database of the Public Affairs Information Service, covers the full range of the social sciences, with emphasis on contemporary public issues and the making and evaluating public policy.

Business and Management Practices contains online articles about the practical aspects of business management. Provides real-world know-how that focuses on how organizations make and implement decisions, develop and launch new strategies, and plan for change. Database includes case studies and how-to articles. Searches for business concepts, industries, and specific departments within an organization.

Search Results

Assisted Living/Home Health/Residential Care Search Strategy

Database	Search Terms: Searches cover the years 1994-2005 unless otherwise indicated.	Results
Medline	(Assisted living facilities[MESH] OR homes for the aged[MAJR]) AND (consumer satisfaction[MESH] OR personal satisfaction[MESH] OR patient participation[MESH] OR patient education[MESH] OR quality of life[MESH] OR life style[MESH]) AND Aged:65+ years	60
Medline	(Assisted living facilities[MESH] OR homes for the aged[MAJR]) AND data collection[MAJR] AND Aged:65+ years	87
Medline	(Assisted living facilities[MESH] OR homes for the aged[MAJR]) AND (needs assessment[MESH] OR outcome and process assessment(health care)[ MESH] ) AND Aged:65+ years	75
Medline	(Assisted living facilities[MESH] OR homes for the aged[MAJR]) AND (health services research/methods[MAJR] OR health services research/standards[MAJR] OR qualitative research[MAJR] OR quality indicators, health care[MAJR] OR health care evaluation mechanisms[MAJR]) AND Aged:65+ years	138
Medline	(Board and care OR adult day care OR senior center) AND (satisfaction OR quality OR questionnaire+ OR assessment+ OR instrument+ OR scale+ OR index OR evaluation+ OR indicator+)	33
Medline	(Assisted living facilities[MESH] OR homes for the aged[MESH]) AND (health services[MESH] OR social services[MESH]) AND (health care evaluation mechanisms[MAJR] OR instrument+ OR scale+ OR questionnaires[MESH] OR assessment+ OR geriatric assessment[MESH] OR quality assurance, health care[MESH] OR quality indicators[MESH]) AND Aged:65+ years	208
Medline	(Assisted living facilities[MESH] OR homes for the aged[MESH]) AND (health services[MESH] OR social services[MESH]) AND (quality of life[MESH] OR consumer satisfaction[MESH] OR personal satisfaction[MESH] OR quality of healthcare[MESH]) AND Aged:65+ years	133
Medline	(Nursing homes[MESH] OR halfway houses[MESH] OR group homes[MESH]) AND (health services[MESH] OR social services[MESH]) AND (health care evaluation mechanisms[MAJR] OR instrument+ OR scale+ OR questionnaires[MESH] OR assessment+ OR geriatric assessment[MESH] OR quality assurance, health care[MESH] OR quality indicators[MESH]) AND Aged:65+ years	503
Medline	(Nursing homes[MESH] OR halfway houses[MESH] OR group homes[MESH]) AND (health services[MESH] OR social services[MESH]) AND (quality of life[MESH] OR consumer satisfaction[MESH] OR personal satisfaction[MESH] OR quality of healthcare[MESH]) AND Aged:65+ years	296
Medline	(Nursing homes[MESH] OR halfway houses[MESH] OR group homes[MESH]) AND (health care evaluation mechanisms[MAJR] OR instrument+ OR scale+ OR questionnaires[MESH] OR assessment+ OR geriatric assessment[MESH] OR quality assurance, health care[MESH] OR quality indicators[MESH]) AND (quality of life[MESH] OR consumer satisfaction[MESH] OR personal satisfaction[MESH] OR quality of healthcare[MESH]) AND Aged:65+ years	144
Ageline	Assisted living facilities[SH] AND (surveys[SH] OR survey questionnaires[SH] OR data collection[SH] OR research techniques[SH] OR qualitative research[SH] OR test validity[SH]	23
Ageline	Assisted living facilities[SH] AND ( evaluation+ OR assessment+ OR indicator+ OR scale+ OR instrument+ OR questionnaire+ OR index)	23
Ageline	Assisted living facilities[SH] AND (Alzheimer's disease[SH] OR dementia[SH])	34
Ageline	Assisted living facilities[SH] AND medication management[SH]	3
Ageline	(Home health care[SH] OR home care[SH]) AND (Alzheimer's disease[SH] OR dementia[SH})	40
Ageline	(Home health care[SH] OR home care[SH]) AND medication management[SH]	2
Ageline	Board and care homes[SH] AND (tests[SH] OR test validity[SH] OR assessment[SH] OR outcomes[SH] OR research techniques[SH] OR data quality[SH] OR data collection[SH] )	7
Ageline	Home health satisfaction measure[SH]	2
Ageline	(Home health care[SH] OR home care[SH]) AND (care satisfaction[SH] OR life satisfaction[SH] OR quality of life[SH])	182
Ageline	Personal care homes OR personal assistant services	6
Ageline	(Day care services[SH] OR senior centers[SH]) AND (tests[SH] OR test validity[SH] OR research techniques[SH] OR data collection[SH] OR data quality[SH] OR assessment[SH] OR outcomes[SH])	25
Ageline	(Day care services[SH] OR senior centers[SH]) AND ((care satisfaction[SH] OR quality of care[SH] OR life satisfaction[SH] OR quality of life[SH])	24
Ageline	(Assisted living facilities[SH] OR homes for the elderly[SH]) AND (health services[SH] OR supportive services[SH] OR social services[SH] OR social activities[SH] OR service needs[SH] OR recreation* OR therapy OR therapeutic+ OR activities) AND (quality of life[SH] OR quality of care[SH] OR care satisfaction[SH] OR consumer satisfaction[SH]) AND (older adults[SH] OR old old[SH] OR young old[SH])	21
Ageline	(Assisted living facilities[SH] OR homes for the elderly[SH]) AND (health services[SH] OR supportive services[SH] OR social services[SH] OR social activities[SH] OR service needs[SH] OR recreation* OR therapy OR therapeutic+ OR activities) AND (tests[SH] OR test validity[SH] OR scale[SH] OR research techniques[SH] OR checklists[SH] OR assessment[SH] OR evaluation+ OR indicator+ OR index OR questionnaire+) AND (older adults[SH] OR old old[SH] OR young old[SH])	26
Ageline	(Nursing homes[SH] OR halfway houses[SH] OR long term care gerontology centers[SH] OR residential facilities OR residential care OR group homes OR supported housing OR housing with services) AND (health services[SH] OR supportive services[SH] OR social services[SH] OR social activities[SH] OR service needs[SH] OR recreation* OR therapy OR therapeutic+ OR activities) AND (quality of life[SH] OR quality of care[SH] OR care satisfaction[SH] OR consumer satisfaction[SH]) AND (older adults[SH] OR old old[SH] OR young old[SH])	54
Ageline	(Nursing homes[SH] OR halfway houses[SH] OR long term care gerontology centers[SH] OR residential facilities OR residential care OR group homes OR supported housing OR housing with services) AND (health services[SH] OR supportive services[SH] OR social services[SH] OR social activities[SH] OR service needs[SH] OR recreation* OR therapy OR therapeutic+ OR activities ) AND (tests[SH] OR test validity[SH] OR scale[SH] OR research techniques[SH] OR checklists[SH] OR assessment[SH] OR evaluation+ OR indicator+ OR index OR questionnaire+) AND (older adults[SH] OR old old[SH] OR young old[SH])	20
CHID Combined Health Information Database	(Home health OR home care) AND aged[SH] AND (instrument+ OR scale+ OR index OR evaluation+ OR assessment+ OR research methodology[SH])	25
CHID	Assisted living facilities[MAJR]	33
CHID	Assisted living facilities[SH] AND (satisfaction OR scale+ OR instrument+ OR index OR data collection OR survey+ OR quality OR evaluation+ OR assessment+ OR research)	28
CHID	Board and care	3
CHID	Adult day care[SH]	11
CHID	Personal care homes OR personal assistant services	0
CHID	Nursing homes[SH] OR residential facilities[SH]	13
CHID	Halfway house+ OR housing with services OR supported housing OR group home+ OR homes for the aged OR homes for the elderly	1
CINAHL	Assisted living AND (questionnaire+ OR instrument construction OR instrument validation OR evaluation+ OR outcomes(health care) OR quality improvement)	25
CINAHL	Assisted living AND consumer satisfaction	11
CINAHL	(Adult day care OR senior center) AND (index OR instrument+ OR questionnaire+ OR scale+ OR indicator+ OR assessment+)	14
CINAHL	Board and care OR personal care home OR personal assistant services	14
CINAHL	Home health care[SH] AND aged AND (index OR instrument+ OR questionnaire+ OR scale+ OR indicator+ OR assessment+)	36
CINAHL	(Residential facilities[SH] OR residential care[SH] OR assisted living[SH] OR nursing homes[SH] OR nursing home patients[SH]OR group homes OR halfway homes OR supported housing OR homes for the elderly OR homes for the aged) AND (health care[SH] OR social work[SH] OR therapy[SH]) AND (research instruments[SH] OR index OR questionnaire+ OR scale+ OR scales[SH] OR indicator+ OR assessment+ OR quality assessment[SH] OR geriatric assessment[SH]) AND (aged[SH] OR gerontologic care[SH])	11
CINAHL	(Residential facilities[SH] OR residential care[SH] OR assisted living[SH] OR nursing homes[SH] OR nursing home patients[SH]OR group homes OR halfway homes OR supported housing OR homes for the elderly OR homes for the aged) AND (health care[SH] OR social work[SH] OR therapy[SH]) AND (quality of life[SH] OR quality assurance[SH] OR quality of health care[SH] OR patient satisfaction[SH]) AND (aged[SH] OR gerontologic care[SH])	7
CINAHL	(Residential facilities[SH] OR residential care[SH] OR assisted living[SH] OR nursing homes[SH] OR nursing home patients[SH]OR group homes OR halfway homes OR supported housing OR homes for the elderly OR homes for the aged) AND (research instruments[SH] OR index OR questionnaire+ OR scale+ OR scales[SH] OR indicator+ OR assessment+ OR quality assessment[SH] OR geriatric assessment[SH]) AND (quality of life[SH] OR quality assurance[SH] OR quality of health care[SH] OR patient satisfaction[SH]) AND (aged[SH] OR gerontologic care[SH])	32
HAPI Health & Psychosocial Instruments	Adult day care OR senior center	30
HAPI	Home care OR home health care	16
HAPI	Assisted living	3
HAPI	Board and care	5
HAPI	Personal care home+ OR personal assistant services	4
HAPI	(Nursing homes[SH] OR group homes[SH] OR halfway houses[SH] OR residential care facilities[SH] OR residential facilities[SH] OR supported housing OR homes for the aged OR homes for the elderly OR housing with services) AND (aged OR geriatric+ OR gerontology*)	27
Health Source	Home care services[SH] AND (satisfaction OR quality OR instrument+ OR scale+ OR index OR assessment+ OR indicator+ OR qualitative research[SH]) AND (aged OR elder* OR old* OR senior* OR geriatric*)	67
Health Source	Personal assistant services OR personal care home OR board and care	43
Health Source	(Adult day care OR senior center) AND (assessment+ OR outcome+ OR indicator+ OR evaluation+ OR research OR satisfaction OR quality)	51
Health Source	Assisted living AND (aged OR elderly)	69
Business Management	Assisted living	3
Business Management	(Home health OR home care) AND (geriatric OR elder* OR aged OR senior)	0
Current Index to Statistics	Assisted living OR home health	0
Current Index to Statistics	Nursing home+ OR residential care OR residential facilities OR homes for the aged OR homes for the elderly OR group homes OR halfway houses OR supported housing OR housing with services	7
PAIS	Assisted living	14
PAIS	Home health	5
PsychInfo 2001-2004	Assisted living	42
PsychInfo 2001-2004	Home health AND (elderly OR aged OR geriatric* OR senior)	0
PsychInfo 2002-2005 (See note at end of table)	(Nursing homes[SH] OR residential care institutions[SH] OR assisted living[SH]) AND (aged[SH] OR geriatric+ OR gerontology* OR aged OR elder* OR senior+) AND (health care services [SH] OR social work* OR social service+ OR activit* OR therapy OR therapeutic+ OR recreation* OR supportive OR rehabilitation) AND (quality of life[SH] OR quality of care[SH] OR satisfaction[SH] OR consumer satisfaction[SH])	52
PsychInfo 2002-2005 (See note at end of table)	(Nursing homes[SH] OR residential care institutions[SH] OR assisted living[SH]) AND (aged[SH] OR geriatric+ OR gerontology* OR aged OR elder* OR senior+) AND (health care services [SH] OR social work* OR social service+ OR activit* OR therapy OR therapeutic+ OR recreation* OR supportive OR rehabilitation) AND (rating scales[SH] OR measurement[SH] OR evaluation[SH] OR methodology[SH] OR instrument+ OR indicator+ OR index OR questionnaire+)	48
PsychInfo 2002-2005 (See note at end of table)	(Nursing homes[SH] OR residential care institutions[SH] OR assisted living[SH]) AND (aged[SH] OR geriatric+ OR gerontology* OR aged OR elder* OR senior+) AND (quality of life[SH] OR quality of care[SH] OR satisfaction[SH] OR consumer satisfaction[SH]) AND (rating scales[SH] OR measurement[SH] OR evaluation[SH] OR methodology[SH] OR instrument+ OR indicator+ OR index OR questionnaire+)	36
SRM Sage Social Research Methodology	Assisted living OR home health	0
Social Science Abstracts	(Nursing homes[SH] OR nursing home care[SH] OR nursing home patients[SH] OR residential care OR residential facilities OR group homes OR homes for the aged OR homes for the elderly OR supported housing OR halfway houses OR group homes OR housing with services OR assisted living[SH] OR long term care facilities[SH]) AND (aged OR elder* OR geriatric+ OR gerontology* OR senior+) AND (service+ OR activit* OR therapy OR therapeutic+ OR recreation* OR social OR supportive OR rehabilitation) AND (instrument+ OR scale+ OR indicator+ OR index OR questionnaire+ OR assessment+ OR evaluation+ OR quality control[SH])	127
Social Science Abstracts	(Nursing homes[SH] OR nursing home care[SH] OR nursing home patients[SH] OR residential care OR residential facilities OR group homes OR homes for the aged OR homes for the elderly OR supported housing OR halfway houses OR group homes OR housing with services OR assisted living[SH] OR long term care facilities[SH]) AND (aged OR elder* OR geriatric+ OR gerontology* OR senior+) AND (quality of life[SH] OR quality of care OR patient satisfaction[SH])	70

MESH = Medical Subject Heading; MAJR = Major Medical Subject Heading;
SH = Subject Heading

Note: Because of the mental health orientation of the PsychInfo database, the keywords group home, halfway houses, supportive housing, etc. were not used when searching this database. When the terms were used, they yielded too many irrelevant hits.

Return to Contents

AHRQ Publication No. 07-0032-EF
December 2006

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Internet Citation:

Environmental Scan of Instruments to Inform Consumer Choice in Assisted Living Facilities. AHRQ Publication No. 07-0032-EF, December 2006. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/research/ltcscan/

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