Acute Medical Admission of ELDERly Patients (≥75yrs) to Either Fast Track or Traditional Inward Hospitalisation. A Randomised Controlled Trial
Overview
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Intervention
- Not specified
- Conditions
- Geriatric Disorder
- Sponsor
- Holbaek Sygehus
- Enrollment
- 430
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- All cause mortality
- Status
- Completed
- Last Updated
- 9 years ago
Overview
Brief Summary
To evaluate differences in health outcomes among elderly patients (age ≥ 75 years) treated in a Quick Diagnostic Unit (QDU) compared to the Department of Internal Medicine (DIM). A QDU is a medical Short Stay Unit (SSU).
Detailed Description
The Danish emergency care system is undergoing major changes; Emergency Departments (ED) are now centralised at fewer hospitals, thus the ED now serve as the single point of entry for all acute patients. Another initiative, has been the establishment of a Quick Diagnostic Unit (QDU) as a subunit in the ED. The QDU is a ward for fast track diagnostics and treatment of stable medical patients that is believed to optimise in-hospital care by quicker diagnosis and shorter hospitalisations, and minimise time for patients to return to their habitual health status. However, little evidence exists on the putative benefits for elderly patients treated in a QDU setting. In this study, we will examine the benefits and drawbacks of treatment of elderly medical patients (≥75 years) in an acute treatment system with the possibility of fast-track admission and treatment, rather than treatment in the traditional medical system. We will randomise patients to treatment in either a fast track ward/short stay unit, the QDU, or to standard treatment at the Dept. of Internal Medicine (DIM). We hypothesise that treatment in a QDU compared to DIM offers optimised care through immediate access to clinical staff and rapid diagnostic facilities, treatment and quicker rehabilitation.
Investigators
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- •Age ≥ 75 years
- •Admitted for in-hospital treatment for an internal medicine disease
- •Green tag triaged upon arrival in the ED
Exclusion Criteria
- •Previous participation in this trial
- •Participation in other clinical trials
- •No QDU beds available
- •Subject does not have a Danish Civil Registration Number (CPR).
- •Subject resides abroad
- •Requires help using the toilet in daily life
- •Patients not aware of date, time and location, or their own data (name, birth date)
- •Informed consent cannot be obtained
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
All cause mortality
Time Frame: 90 days
Number of participants that die by any cause within 90 days after the day of admission, data will be retrieved from The Danish Civil Registration system 90 days after admission. Accounted as dead or alive.
Secondary Outcomes
- Readmissions(30 days)
- Complications of hospitalisation(is assessed from date of randomization untill the date of discharge, date of death from any cause or whichever came first, assessed up to 100 weeks.)
- In-hospital Transfer(is assessed from date of randomization untill the date of discharge, date of death from any cause or whichever came first, assessed up to 100 weeks.)
- Length of stay in-hospital(Lenght of stay is assessed from date of randomization untill the date of discharge, date of death from any cause or whichever came first, assessed up to 100 weeks.)
- In hospital Mortality(In hospital mortality is assessed from date of randomization untill the date of discharge, date of death from any cause or whichever came first, assessed up to 100 weeks.)
- Instrumental Activities of Daily Living(90 days (± 2 days) from date of randomization)
- Placement in a long-term-care home after hospitalisation.(3 months (± 2 days))