Application to identify instances of home care/help. This is help by someone who comes to assist the patient with activities of daily living.

Development approach: Rule-Based. Classification of past or present symptom: Both. Classes produced: Positive

The output includes- Positive mentions:

‘patient gets home help 3x daily’, ‘carers admit he can be agitated during the day at home’, ‘home care plan to start next week’, ‘meeting to discuss potential home care’, ‘suggested home help which the family are considering’.

Exclude Negative mentions:

forms, informal care not provided by a care service (informal carers, such as family members, friends or neighbours), ward round notes referring to care coordinator, ‘home care FORMCHECBOX’, ‘carer support to be given to sister of ZZZ’, ‘refused home help’, ‘home help discussed but ZZZ does not want at this time’, ‘care coordinator contacted’, ‘ward round: care coordinator responded with…’. Exclude Unknown mentions (where it is unclear if current/potential home care is being given, this may be questions, mention of home treatment team without reference to home care or mention of past care without current/future care mentioned) ‘Does the patient have home care support?’, ‘home treatment team called’, ‘used to have home care support’.

Status definition Current- is presently receiving home care/help.

See website for subject, time and frequency definitions.