Use of the Adult Social Care Outcomes Toolkit (ASCOT) in research studies: an international scoping review

Purpose

Since the launch of Adult Social Care Outcomes Toolkit (ASCOT) in 2012, there has been increasing interest in use of ASCOT measures in social care research and evaluation, internationally. This scoping review seeks to understand ASCOT use and the methodologies within which the measures have been applied.

Methods

An international scoping review of studies published between January 2012 and July 2024 that utilized ASCOT, excluding measure development and psychometric studies.

Results

Fifty-five articles (11 protocols) reported use of ASCOT. Most reported cross-sectional studies (n = 19) or randomized controlled trials (n = 15) that explored the effectiveness of policy, interventions or systems. ASCOT measures were also applied in mixed methods and other study designs, including qualitative studies. A few studies applied ASCOT to develop theory or conceptual frameworks that relate to care, including how to understand unmet need.

Conclusion

ASCOT measures have been applied, internationally, in a range of ways, with a focus on evaluation studies. Further research is required to explore how ASCOT is used in practice, including care planning. Focus is also needed on ensuring users select the appropriate measure for their study, and widen awareness of adapted versions to support data collection, like ASCOT easy read (ASCOT-ER).