Publisher

Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG)

Topic

Social isolation and loneliness in the elderly: What measures can prevent or counteract social isolation?

HTA No.

HT20-03

Date of project start

19.10.2020

Address of publisher:

Authors

• Stefanie Butz, Institute und Policlinic for General Medicine, University Hospital Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany
• Max Georg Hügel, Law Firm for Medical Law and Health Law, Lübeck, Germany
• Hannes Kahrass, University Hospital Hanover (MHH), Hanover, Germany
• Thomas Kloppe, Institute und Policlinic for General Medicine, University Hospital Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany
• Dagmar Lühmann, Institute und Policlinic for General Medicine, University Hospital Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany
• Marcel Mertz, University Hospital Hanover (MHH), Hanover, Germany
• Cathleen Muche-Borowski, Institute und Policlinic for General Medicine, University Hospital Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany
• Anja Neumann, EsFoMed GmbH, Essen, Germany
• Silke Neusser, EsFoMed GmbH, Essen, Germany
• Ilvie Otto, University Hospital Hanover (MHH), Hanover, Germany
• Thomas Ruppel, Law Firm for Medical Law and Health Law, Lübeck, Germany
• Martin Scherer, Institute und Policlinic for General Medicine, University Hospital Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany

Reviewer

• Anne Stark, Institute und Policlinic for General Medicine, University Hospital Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany

IQWiG coordinated the project, conducted the literature search for the domains “Benefit assessment” and “Health economic evaluation”, and prepared the easily understandable summary (HTA compact).

According to §139b (3) No. 2 of Social Code Book (SGB) V, Statutory Health Insurance, external experts who are involved in the Institute’s research commissions must disclose “all connections to interest groups and contract organizations, particularly in the pharmaceutical and medical devices industries, including details on the type and amount of any remuneration received”. The Institute received the completed Form for disclosure of potential conflicts of interest from each external expert. The information provided was reviewed by a Committee of the Institute specifically established to assess conflicts of interests. The information on conflicts of interest provided by the external experts and external reviewers is presented in Chapter A11 of the full report. No conflicts of interest were detected that could endanger professional independence with regard to the work on the present commission.