Randomized Controlled Trial of Health Care to Elderly Patients.

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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To study the efficacy of multicomponent treatment and care for patients with acute illness or deterioration of a chronic disease at a nursing home in primary health care compared to traditional treatment at hospital.

Detailed Description
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Managers at St. Olavs University Hospital and the City of Trondheim local authority decided in 2001 to establish a reinforced department at a nursing home with a multicomponent approach to patient treatment. In the study treatment at a nursing home will be compared with conventional treatment in ordinary hospital beds in medical, surgical and orthopedic departments at a hospital. Participating doctors at the hospital together with general practitioners shall develope inclusion criteria through Delphi technique. Eligible participants will be hospitalized from their ordinary home and expected to return to home after treatment. When an eligible patient is identified and accepted for inclusion, randomization will be performed by the Clinical Research Department at the Faculty of Medicine.

Official Title
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Specialized Treatment and Care Intervention at a Primary Level in a Nursing Home Compared to Conventional Treatment at a Hospital: a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Conditions
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Congestive Heart Failure, Angina Pectoris, Asthma, Pneumonia, Fractures

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: Multicomponent treatment
* Other: usual care


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Participating doctors at the hospital together with general practitioners shall develope inclusion criteria through Delphi technique. Exclusion Criteria: Participating doctors at the hospital together with general practitioners shall develope exclusion criteria through Delphi technique.

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 60 Years
Maximum Age: 100 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Intermediate community hospital<br> | Other: Multicomponent treatment<br>* Specialized care in preparing recharge to home<br>|
| Active Comparator: Usual care<br> | Other: usual care<br>* Usual recharge directly from hospital to home<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Number of readmissions |  | Within 60 days | 
| Number of deaths |  | Within 12 months | 
| Need of home nursing services |  | within 12 months | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Costs |  | Within 12 months | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Treatment of elderly., Nursing home., Rehabilitation., Readmissions.