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Physiotherapy Led Community Intervention for Older Adults Discharged From the Emergency Department

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Old Age; Debility
Health Services for the Aged
Interventions
Other: Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment arm
Other: EDPLUS
Registration Number
NCT04983602
Lead Sponsor
University of Limerick
Brief Summary

ED PLUS Emergency Department Discharge Physiotherapy Led Community Service is a pilot feasibility randomized controlled trial investigating the role of an integrated care intervention consisting of comprehensive geriatrics assessment in older adults in the emergency department and a physiotherapy-led community based intervention.

Detailed Description

All patients who are aged 65 years and over will be screened using the Identification of Seniors at Risk (ISAR) Tool in the emergency department of a University Teaching Hospital. Those with a score of 2 or above in the ISAR and suitable for discharge home will be randomised. The first treatment arm will undergo geriatric medicine item directed Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) from admission to emergency department (ED). The non-treatment arm will under usual patient care. The second treatment arm will undergo geriatric medicine team directed CGA from admission to ED and a physiotherapy led community based 6 week intervention in the patient's home. A dedicated multidisciplinary team of geriatric medicine trainee, occupational therapist, physiotherapist and medical social worker will carry out the assessment. For those randomised to the second treatment arm, a physiotherapist will assess and carry out a 6 week interventions that arise from that assessment and liaise with the patients General Practitioner (GP), medical social worker and other health care professionals. The overall aims of ED PLUS are assess the feasibility of the 6 week physiotherapy led intervention. Feasibility will be determined by the following outcomes:

i) Recruitment rate

ii) Adherence rate

iii) Acceptability of the programme

iv) Retention

v) Incidents

The secondary aims are to improve function, reduce anxiety and depression, improve quality of life and prevent unnecessary ED admission.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
29
Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Comprehensive Geriatric assessment armComprehensive Geriatric Assessment armThe intervention will comprise initially of a detailed interdisciplinary assessment and intervention by one or more members of the dedicated geriatric team. The team (consisting of a geriatric specialist registrar, specialist geriatric nurse, senior pharmacist, senior physiotherapist, senior occupational therapist, and senior medical social worker) in both ED and AMAU will assess all participants in the intervention group and perform CGA. Potential participants will be approached regarding trial recruitment post ED triage thereby ensuring rapid assessment shortly after hospital arrival by the teams in both AMAU and in ED.
EDPLUS armEDPLUSThe ED PLUS intervention will comprise initially of a detailed interdisciplinary assessment and intervention by one or more members of the dedicated geriatric team. The team in both ED and AMAU will assess all participants in the intervention group and perform CGA. Potential participants will be approached regarding trial recruitment post ED triage thereby ensuring rapid assessment shortly after hospital arrival by the teams in both AMAU and in ED. Additionally the participants in this arm will undergo a 6 week physiotherapy led intervention in the community involving 3 home visits and weekly telephone support. The intervention will involved assessment of the patients function in terms of strength, balance and mobility. Following assessment the intervention will be aimed at addressing deficits in the function of the participants, review of their medical management by a geriatrician trainee and focusing on self management of their own program.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Functional Decline6 months post ED visit

Barthel Index is global measure of functional status with a score from 0-20. A score of 0 is completely dependent, 20 is fully independent.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Mortality6 weeks post ED index visit or 6 months post ED index visit

A record of the patient having died within 6 weeks or 6 months

Rate of Hospital readmissionBaseline,6 weeks post ED visit and 6 months post ED visit

A record of the patient requiring admission to the hospital within 6 weeks and/or 6 months

Patient Quality of LifeBaseline, 6 weeks post ED visit and 6 months post ED visit

Patient rated quality of life is determined by the Euro Quality of Life EQ5D. This scale is scored from 0 to 100 where 0 is the worst imaginable health state with 100 being the best imaginable.

Patient satisfactionBaseline, 6 weeks post ED visit and 6 months post ED visit

Patient satisfaction is determined by the Patient Satisfaction Survey III Short Form (PSQ18). This is scored from 18 to 90, with 18 being the lowest level of satisfaction to 90 being the best score

Rate of ED representationBaseline, 6 weeks post ED visit and 6 months post ED visit

A record of the patient coming back to the ED within 6 weeks and/or 6 months post ED index visit

Patient Experience Times6 weeks

Exact time of admission or discharge form the ED will be collected at 6 weeks post ED index visit

Number of visits to the family doctor or public health nurse6 weeks and 6 months post index ED visit

Determined by self reported visits to family doctor or public health nurse. This will be a telephone consultation at 6 week and 6 months post ED index visit where patients will be asked if they have visited a family doctor or public health nurse in the previous 6 weeks at the 6 week telephone call, or 6 months at the 6 month telephone call

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

University Hospital Limerick

🇮🇪

Limerick, Ireland

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