Understanding social care need through primary care big data: a rapid scoping review

Abstract

BackgroundA more comprehensive understanding and measurement of adult social care need could contribute to efforts to develop more effective, holistic personalised care, particularly for those with Multiple Long Term Conditions. Progress in this area faces the challenge of a lack of clarity in the literature relating to how social care need is assessed and coded within variables included in primary care databases.AimTo explore how social care need is assessed and coded within variables included in primary care databases.Design & settingAn exploratory rapid scoping review of peer-reviewed articles and grey literature.MethodArticles were screened and extracted onto a charting sheet and findings were summarised descriptively. Articles were included if published in English, related to primary care and social care using data from national primary care databases.ResultsThe search yielded 4,010 articles. Twenty-seven were included. Six articles used the term ‘social care need’, although related terminology was identified including ‘need factors’, ‘social support’ and ‘social care support’. Articles mainly focused on specific components of social care need, including levels of social care usage/service utilisation and costs incurred to social care, primary care and other providers in addressing needs. A limited range of database variables were found measuring social care need.ConclusionFurther research is needed on how social care need has been defined in a UK context and captured in primary care big databases. There is potential scope to broaden the definition of social care need, which captures social service needs and wider social needs.

Social care need in multimorbidity

“…In particular, there is an urgent requirement to understand which variables are available to capture and best describe SCN, ‘how these are recorded in practice and a standardising of coding’. 7 A comprehensive indicator of SCN requires a suite of variables that not only measure functional capacity needs but also wider socio-economic and psycho-social related needs (e.g. employment barriers/capability, deprivation/social gradient, personal/household income levels, housing need and social care-related quality of life), which can significantly influence care outcomes.…”

“…Compared with healthcare need, the literature exploring adult SCN is limited, 4 especially in the context of multimorbidity. 7 Consequently, there is a lack of clarity on how to define SCN, including methods to measure and assess such need. SCN can be defined using subjective criteria based on an individual’s self-reported perspective or objective measures of care need derived from needs assessment processes or both approaches.…”

“…As a result of a lack of clarity both conceptually and operationally in defining and measuring SCN, research evidence is limited. 7 To date, ‘service systems’ 9 driven definitions of SCN have primarily informed research agendas, 15 resulting in current evidence emphasising the fulfilment of care tasks, ‘caring for’ – overlooking the emotional or relational aspects of ‘caring about’. 9 There is also a paucity of longitudinal studies to assess trajectories in care need over time.…”

“…4 More generally, there is insufficient ‘good quality data’ 4 relating to certain aspects of SCN, including, unmet need. A recent scoping review 7 also found a limited number of variables measuring SCN, with many studies relying on ADL or combinations of functional criteria, indicators measuring the level of social care use/service utilisation (e.g. home care, day-care and meals usage) or estimates of costs incurred to service organisations providing specific care services.…”

“…home care, day-care and meals usage) or estimates of costs incurred to service organisations providing specific care services. 7 Significantly, the review found few studies that captured all dimensions of SCN. 7 …”