Clinical trial NCT05065281: Responding to Elder Abuse in GERiAtric Care: Educational Intervention
Official title: Responding to Elder Abuse in GERiAtric Care Educational Intervention for Healthcare Providers: a Non-randomised Stepped Wedge Trial.
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Healthy
Lead sponsor: Region Östergötland
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Linkoeping University
name: Region Jönköping County
name: Linnaeus University
name: Kamprad Family Foundation
name: Medical Research Council of Southeast Sweden
First posted: 2021-10-04
Enrollment: 554
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: SEQUENTIAL
Intervention model description: Non-randomized stepped wedge cluster trial (incomplete design)
Primary purpose: HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Brief summary: The prevalence of elder abuse has been reported between 10-15% in international studies. Elder abuse may include both physical, emotional, sexual and financial abuse as well as neglect and it occurs at the hand of both professionals and family members, including adult children and intimate partners. Elder abuse has been associated with psychological ill-health, disability, increased hospitalization, emergency department use and admission to nursing facilities. Elder abuse is however often unknown to health care providers. Older adults are hesitant to disclose abuse and health care providers are often reluctant to ask questions.

In this study an interactive educational model for health care professionals about elder abuse will be tested. The model consist of theoretical lectures, brief films showing patient encounters, group discussions and forum play, a form of participatory theater. Both group discussions and forum play will be using case scenarios as a cornerstone.

The validated questionnaire REAGERA-P will be used for self-reported measures

Detailed description: Please refer to the uploaded study protocol for a detailed description of the study.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Employee at one of the clinics participating in the trial
* Work tasks involves direct patient contact, at least part time
* Participation at the training sessions

Exclusion Criteria:

* Only administrative work and no direct patient contact
* Not participating at the training session

Primary outcomes:
measure: Change between baseline and follow up concerning asking questions about abuse, as reported in the questionnaire REAGERA-P
timeFrame: Baseline, 6 month follow up, 12 month follow up
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Change between baseline and follow up concerning awareness of elder abuse and sense of responsibility for identifying victims, as reported in the questionnaire REAGERA-P
timeFrame: Baseline, Immediate post-intervention (number 2), 6 month follow up, 12 month follow up
measure: Change between baseline and follow up concerning level of awareness of abuse in contact with patients, as reported in the questionnaire REAGERA-P
timeFrame: Baseline, 6 or 12 month follow up (different for different clusters)
measure: Change between baseline and follow up concerning perceived ability to ask questions about abuse, as reported in REAGERA-P
timeFrame: Baseline, Immediate post-intervention, 6 month follow up, 12 month follow up
measure: Change between baseline and follow up concerning perceived preparedness to manage cases of elder abuse, as reported in REAGERA-P
timeFrame: Baseline, Immediate post-intervention (number 1and 2), 6 months follow up, 12 months follow up
measure: Change between baseline and follow up concerning preparedness at the clinic to care for older adults subjected to abuse, as reported in REAGERA-P
timeFrame: Baseline, 6 months follow up, 12 months follow up
Other outcomes:
measure: Change between baseline and follow up concerning number of elder abuse victims identified at the clinics included in the study, as reported in the medical records
timeFrame: Baseline, 6 month follow up, 12 month follow up
measure: Change between baseline and follow up concerning adequate follow up, as reported in the questionnaire REAGERA-P
timeFrame: Baseline, 6 month follow up, 12 month follow up
measure: Change between baseline and follow up concerning self-reported hesitancy for asking questions about elder abuse, as reported in the questionnaire REAGERA-P
timeFrame: Baseline, 6 month follow up, 12 month follow up
measure: Degree of changed practice as reported in the questionnaire REAGERA-P
timeFrame: 6 month follow up
Locations:
city: Eksjö
country: Sweden
facility: Region Jönköpings län
city: Jönköping
country: Sweden
facility: Region Jönköpings Län
city: Linköping
country: Sweden
facility: Region Östergötland
city: Norrköping
country: Sweden
facility: Region Östergötland
Study officials:
affiliation: Region Östergötland
name: Johanna Simmons, MD, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Simmons J, Wenemark M, Ludvigsson M. Development and validation of REAGERA-P, a new questionnaire to evaluate health care provider preparedness to identify and manage elder abuse. BMC Health Serv Res. 2021 May 19;21(1):473. doi: 10.1186/s12913-021-06469-2.
citation: Ludvigsson M, Motamedi A, Westerlind B, Swahnberg K, Simmons J. Responding to Elder Abuse in GERiAtric care (REAGERA) educational intervention for healthcare providers: a non-randomised stepped wedge trial. BMJ Open. 2022 May 4;12(5):e060314. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-060314.