Use of the EASYCare Assessment methods in research requires a research license from EASYCare Health.

The following rules apply:

* There is no charge for a research license.

* The license is solely for research purposes. A separate license is available for use of EASYCare Assessment methods in practice.

* EASYCare Health is to be informed of research plans prior to undertaking research, with an opportunity for discussion of research aims and methods with the EASYCare international research coordinating team, led by Professor Ian Philp.

* The research coordinating team is to be offered the opportunity for involvement in writing up research outcomes for publication.

* Notwithstanding the involvement of the research coordinating team, research license holders have academic freedom to publish findings regardless of outcome.

* Anonymised data about identified needs and outcomes from use of EASYCare assessment is to be shared with EASYCare Health for integration in the EASYCare global population database.

* Consent is to be obtained with all clients who have an EASYCare assessment for their anonymised data to be added to the global database. The consent form is included in the assessment documents.

Research priorities for the period 2015-20 are:

1. Cross-sections and longitudinal studies of the concerns and priorities of older people based on EASY Assessment data, with cross-national comparisons.

2. Studies of impact, based on routine follow-up following an EASYCare Assessment, with health economic modelling and/or comparative studies using historical or contemporary matched control populations.

3. Case studies to describe the barriers and facilitators to sustainability and spread of uptake of the EASYCare approach.

4. Derivation of a Wellbeing Score to be used as an outcome measure alongside the EASYCare Independence Score.

5. Development and validation of more in-depth assessment methods for EASYCare domains and items.

If you have any queries please contact: rachel.georgiou@easycarehealth.org.uk