Table 5 Analysis of papers addressing proposed key principles for effective visiting services
Key Principles | Papers | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aljasir & Alghamdi | Allen | Jackson-Pulver et al. | McDermott et al. | Roberts-Thomson et al. | Rowley et al. | Scrace & Margolis | |
Justification | Service established to improve equity and access | Described community consultations | Inability to attract a resident dentist | Not mentioned | Not mentioned | A “degree of unmet need for medical treatment”; mobile service enables population to stay on traditional homelands | Describes a known higher rate of skin cancer in remote areas |
Scheduling | Expressed dissatisfaction relating to service scheduling only once per week. | Not mentioned | Not mentioned although a Steering Committee was established | Not mentioned | Not mentioned | Mentions regular outreach visits “at the direction of the Health Council” | Mentions regularly scheduled visits but not how the schedules are derived |
Co-ordination | No resident service and no mention of other services | Describes the presence of existing health infrastructure as a major advantage | Not mentioned although a Steering Committee was established | Not mentioned | Not mentioned | Not mentioned | Not mentioned |
Scope | No mention of scope but study participants dissatisfied with range of services | Physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and social work | Dental service | Diabetes outreach service | Oral health | Not mentioned | Skin cancer clinic |
Continuity | Not mentioned | Described as essential | Important to “virtually all respondents” & maintained in project design | Not mentioned | Not mentioned | Not mentioned | Mentions continuity of care as an ideal but not achieved in this study |
Support | No resident team | Not mentioned | Integration within a primary health care setting described as important | Mentions that this is likely to be important | Integrating oral health care into broader primary care activities described as important | Not mentioned | Describes harnessing local resource to promote the service |
Review | The study is an example of the type of review that should occur. No mention made of this occurring routinely. | Not mentioned | This study is an evaluation of the service but no mention made of this occurring routinely. | This study is an evaluation of the service but no mention made of this occurring routinely. | This study is an evaluation of the service but no mention made of this occurring routinely. | Follow up of previous population-based surveys | Not mentioned |