Summary information
Study title
A continuum of care for frail elderly people
Creator
Wilhelmson, Katarina (Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg)
Dahlin-Ivanoff, Synneve (Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg)
Study number / PID
ext0134-1-1 (SND)
Data access
Restricted
Series
Not available
Abstract
The intervention “A continuum of care for frail elderly people” takes place in the municipality of Mölndal, Sweden, including municipal health and social care, the hospital of Mölndal, and primary care. The study has a descriptive analytical and experimental design. The intervention is performed as a randomised controlled trial. The participants were randomised to two study arms, one intervention group and one control group.
Intervention group: The intervention includes an early geriatric assessment, early family support, a case manager in the community with a multi-professional team and the involvement of the elderly people and their relatives in the planning process.
Control group: The control group received conventional care and follow up.
The study group included 161 elderly people who sought care at the emergency department at Mölndal Hospital during the period October 2008 to June 2010 and who were discharged to their own homes in the municipality of Mölndal. Inclusion criteria were age 80 and older or 65 to 79 with at least one chronic disease and dependent in at least one activity of daily living.
A baseline interview and assessment were done within a week of discharge. In some cases it was not possible to do the baseline interview so soon, mostly because the frail elderly person not having enough strength. Follow up data were collected at 3, 6 and 12 months, and after 2 years following the baseline measurement.
Purpose:
The overall aim of the study was to implement the intervention and thereby create a continuum of care for frail elderly people, from the emergency ward to their own homes, resulting in a better quality of care and higher cost-effectiveness. Another aim was to study the implementation process of the intervention programme.
The dataset includes the participants in the intervention group and the control group, a total of 161 participants. The baseline intervention was carried out between October 2008 and June 2010, and follow ups at...
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Methodology
Data collection period
10/2008 - 07/2011
Country
Time dimension
Not availableAnalysis unit
Not availableUniverse
The population is based on elderly people who sought care at the emergency department at Mölndal Hospital during the period October 2008 to June 2010 and who were discharged to their own homes in the municipality of Mölndal.
Sampling procedure
The participants were recruited at the emergency wards at Mölndal Hospital. Inclusion criteria were age 80 and older or 65 to 79 with at least one chronic disease and dependent in at least one activity of daily living. Exclusion criteria were acute severe illness with immediate need of assessment and treatment by a physician (within ten minutes), dementia (or severe cognitive impairment), and palliative care.
The nurse with geriatric competence screened most of the patients during her work shift to see if they fulfilled the inclusion criteria. If so, the nurse informed about the study both verbally and in writing. The information included a description of the study, how it would be conducted and what was expected of people who agreed to participate. There were opportunities to ask questions if anything was unclear. It was stressed, both in the verbal and the written information that participation was voluntarily. Of all those invited to participate, 17 were invited by letter, as they had been discharged before the nurse was able to ask them. People who accepted to participate in the study were randomised to intervention or control by using a system of sealed opaque envelopes. All participants signed a written consent form. The study started with a pilot study to test intervention, inclusion/exclusion criteria and logistics. The pilot study comprised the first ten included participants.
Probability
Kind of data
Not availableData collection mode
Physical measurements and tests
Face-to-face interview
Observation
Access
Publisher
Swedish National Data Service
Publication year
2014
Terms of data access
Access to data through an external actor. Access to data is restricted.
Related publications
Not available