Physiotherapy Led Community Intervention for Older Adults Discharged From the Emergency Department (EDPLUS)
Old Age; Debility, Health Services for the Aged
About this trial
This is an interventional treatment trial for Old Age; Debility focused on measuring older adults, geriatric medicine, integrated care, emergency department, feasibility
Eligibility Criteria
The inclusion criteria for participants include:
- Adults aged ≥65 years with undifferentiated medical complaints presenting to an ED.
- Medically stable as deemed by the treating physician
- Display a score of ≥2 on the Identification of Seniors at Risk (ISAR) screening tool.
- Be community dwelling
- Be discharged from the ED within 72 hours of index visit.
Exclusion criteria include:
- Individuals under the age of 65 years.
- Have a score of less than 2 on the ISAR.
- Older adults who present with acute myocardial infarction, stroke or non-medical problems e.g. surgical or psychiatric issues.
- Older adults who are medically unstable will be excluded.
- If neither the patient nor carer can communicate in English sufficiently to complete consent or baseline assessment, they will be excluded.
- Older adults who are admitted to hospital from the ED will be excluded.
- Older adults who have a confirmed COVID 19 diagnosis or those with symptoms highly suggestive of COVID 19 will be excluded.
Sites / Locations
- University Hospital Limerick
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Arm 3
No Intervention
Experimental
Experimental
Usual care Control group
Comprehensive Geriatric assessment arm
EDPLUS arm
The usual care control group receives conventional care in the Emergency Department (ED) or Acute Medical Assessment Unit (AMAU)The comparison group will receive routine care as would be usual in the ED or AMAU. Currently there is no dedicated team to perform CGA in the ED and AMAU at UHL with ad hoc allied health assessment available only at the discretion of the referring ED doctor or medical team. This process will be continued during the study and will be documented. The participants in this group will under baseline data collection prior to randomisation and follow up.
The 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.
The 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.