Table 1. Characteristics of studies included in review.
| Study | Setting | Participants | Nurse group | Physician’s group | Intervention delivered | Outcomes | |||||||||||||||
| First author, y | Location | Design, period* | FUP, m | Facilities, n | Included diagnosis | Nurses, n | Patients, N | Mean age (SD), y | Male, % | Phys., n | Patients, N | Mean age (SD), y | Male, % | By | FCA | GDL | 1stC | UV | OC | C, n | reported |
| Fairall, 2012 [18]. | ZA 2 | cRCT2, 2008–2010. | 18 | Nurse ART clinic, 31. | HIV/AIDS. | 103 | 6415 | 38 (8.9) | 30 | nr | 6479 | 38 (9.63) | 27 | LN | n | y | n | n | y | >1 | CD4 counts for ART continuation and regimens. |
| Fairall, 2012 [18]. | ZA 1 | cRCT1, 2008–2010. | 16–18 | Nurse ART clinic, 31. | HIV/AIDS. | 103 | 6159 | 36 (9.6) | 33 | nr | 4923 | 35 (9.63) | 31 | LN | n | y | n | n | y | >1 | CD4 counts for ART initiation. |
| Houweling, 2011 [20]. | NL 4 | RCT, period nr. | 14 | Practice, 1. | DM2. | 2 | 116 | 67.1 (11) | 53 | 5 | 114 | 69.5 (10.6) | 42 | NP | y | y | n | n | y | >1 | BP, TC, GH, TC/HDL ratio. |
| Kuethe, 2011 [19]. | NL 3 | RCT, 2006–2008. | 24 | Hospital outpatients, 1; Practice, 18. | Asthma. | nr | 36 | 11.2 (2.9) | 64 | nr | 71 (37§, 34‡) | 11.2 (2.5) §; 10.1 (2.6) ‡ | 58 | NP+ | n | y | n | n | y | >1 | PD20, %FEV1, FENO. |
| Voogdt-Pruis 2010 [21]. | NL 2 | RCT, 2006–2007. | 12 | Healthcare centre, 6. | CVD, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia. | 6 | 808 | 64 (9.0) | 58 | 25 | 818 | 64 (9.0) | 62 | NP+ | nr | y | n | n | y | >1 | BP, TC. |
| Andryukhin 2010 [22]. | RU 1 | RCT, 2006–2009. | 6, 18 | Medical centre practice, 1. | Heart Failure with preserved ejection fraction. | 10†† | 50 | 66.5 (3.2) | 27 | 8 | 50 | 68 (4.3) | 34 | NP/LN | n | y | n | n | y | >1 | TC, GH, LDL, Cardiac function/inflammation. |
| Hiss, 2007 [23]. | US 2 | RCT, period nr. | 6 | Community, 2; PHD, 1. | DM2. | nr | 95 | 55.7 (13.1) | 32 | 108¶ | 102 | 57 (11.4) | 35 | NP+ | n | y | n | n | y | >1 | BP, TC, GH. |
| Du Moulin, 2007 [24]. | NL 1 | cRCT, period nr. | 12 | nr. | All forms of incontinence. | 1 NP | 38 | 51 (13.0) | 0 | 28** | 13 | 51 (13.0) | 0 | RN | n | y** | y | n | y | >1 | Incontinence: frequency and volume. |
| Denver, 2003 [26]. | UK 2 | RCT, 2000–2001. | 6 | Nurse clinic hospital based. | DM2, hypertension pre-diagnosis or in receipt of BPLT. | nr | 60 | 58.1 (13.8) | 57 | nr | 60 | 62.4 (9.1) | 70 | NP+ | n | y | n | n | y | >1 | BP, TC, HG, HDL, triglycerides, kidney function. |
| Jarman, 2002 [27]. | UK 1 | RCT, 1996–1999. | 24 | Practice, 438†. | Parkinson’s Disease. | 9 | 1041 | nr | 57 | nr | 818 | nr | 56 | LN | n | nr | n | n | y | >1 | Stand-up and mobility (tests). |
| Mundinger, 2000 [25], [28]. | US 1 | RCT, 1995–1997. | 6–12, 24‡‡ | Community clinic, 4; PC clinic, 1. | Asthma, DM, hypertension, or urgent visits. | 7 | 1181 | 44 | 24 | 11 | 800 | 44.9 | 22 | NP | n | nr | y | y | y | >1 | BP, GH, peak flow. |
Legend.
Studies are listed by year (y) of publication, in decreasing order.
Abbreviations: US = United States; NL = The Netherlands; UK = United Kingdom; ZA = South Africa; RU = Russia; RCT = Randomised Controlled Trial; cRCT = cluster Randomised Controlled Trial; FUP = follow-up; m = months; SD = standard deviation; nr = not reported; Phys.: physicians; PHD = Public health department; PC = Primary Care; ART = Antiretroviral Therapy; DM (2) = Diabetes Mellitus (Type 2); CVD = Cardiovascular Disease; BPLT = Blood Pressure Lowering Treatment; NP = nurse practitioner; NP+ = nurse practitioner with higher degree/course; RN = registered nurse; LN = licensed nurse; y = yes; n = no; FCA = full clinical autonomy; GDL = interventions based on clinical guidelines or protocols; 1stC. = 1st contact; UV = urgent visits; OC = on-going care; n (C, n) = number of consultations; BP = blood pressure; TC = total cholesterol; GH = glycosylated haemoglobin; ART = antiretroviral therapy; CD4 = t-cell surface glycoprotein CD4; HDL = high density lipoprotein; LDL = low density lipoprotein; PD20 = provocative dose of methacholine causing a 20% fall in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1); FENO = fraction of exhaled nitric oxide.
* start and end year when studies were conducted.
drawn from nine randomly chosen health authority areas.
paediatricians.
general physicians.
63 were for the control group.
** 9 were physicians and 19 were supervisors; intervention delivered following clinical protocols.
2 were nurse practitioners and 8 were (licensed) nurses.
phase I follow-up: 6–12 months; phase II follow-up: 24 months.