Effect of Discharge Via an Intermediate Care Unit

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Patients; Aged
• Interventions: Other: Intermediate care unit; Other: Local health care 1; Other: Local health care 2

• Registration Number: NCT01706744
• Lead Sponsor: Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Brief Summary

The main goal is to investigate the following topics:

1. Can discharge via the Intermediate Care Unit in Stjørdal, compared to direct discharge to Verdal Municipality, be equally effective in preventing aggravation of disease and loss of function for patients over 60 years that have been hospitalized in Levanger hospital?

2. Are the cost by discharge to the Intermediate Care Unit in Stjørdal, when the hospital is not located in the same Municipality, comparable to the cost by direct discharge to the Municipality of Verdal, for patients over 60 years that have been hospitalized in Levanger hospital?

3. Which issues are considered important by patients and health personnel during discharge, arrival and follow up in the Municipality, to ensure an optimal interaction between the involved units.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2010-02
• Study First Submitted: 2012-10-11
• Study First Submitted QC: 2012-10-12
• Study First Posted: 2012-10-15
• Primary Completion: 2013-12
• Study Completion: 2013-12
• Status Verified: 2015-12
• Last Update Submitted: 2015-12-07
• Last Update Posted: 2015-12-08

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 328

Inclusion Criteria

Patients 60 years old or older from Stjørdal- or Verdal municipality,

• given consent,
• admitted from their home,
• diagnostics completed and necessary treatment started
• the patient need not less than 3-4 days institutionalization for treatment/rehabilitation/care

Exclusion Criteria

• Patients with severe dementia
• Patients with severe disease who cannot give consent
• Patients with severe disease with short life expectancy (including severe cancer)

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Intermediate care unit	Intermediate care unit	Follow-up treatment and care in a intermediate care unit after discharge from hospital
Local health care 1	Local health care 1	Discharge from hospital to usual care as provided by the local health and social care (Verdal)
Local health care 2	Local health care 2	Discharge from hospital to usual care as provided by the local health and social care (Stjørdal)

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Hospital readmission	30 days	Acute admission to hospital within 30 days from previous discharge
Use of local health care services	up to 1 year

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
death	up to 1 year
hospital admission	up to 1 year
functional assessment status	up to 6 months
Health service cost	up to 1 year

Trial Locations

Locations (4)

Sykehuset Levanger; 🇳🇴 Levanger, Norway

Distriksmedisinsk Senter; 🇳🇴 Stjørdal, Norway

Stjørdal Kommune; 🇳🇴 Stjørdal, Norway

Verdal kommune; 🇳🇴 Verdal, Norway