Effect of Discharge Via an Intermediate Care Unit

Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Status: Completed

Conditions: Aged; Patients

Treatments: Other: Local health care 2; Other: Intermediate care unit; Other: Local health care 1

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01706744

2009/1697

Details and patient eligibility

About

The main goal is to investigate the following topics:

1. Can discharge via the Intermediate Care Unit in Stjørdal, compared to direct discharge to Verdal Municipality, be equally effective in preventing aggravation of disease and loss of function for patients over 60 years that have been hospitalized in Levanger hospital?
2. Are the cost by discharge to the Intermediate Care Unit in Stjørdal, when the hospital is not located in the same Municipality, comparable to the cost by direct discharge to the Municipality of Verdal, for patients over 60 years that have been hospitalized in Levanger hospital?
3. Which issues are considered important by patients and health personnel during discharge, arrival and follow up in the Municipality, to ensure an optimal interaction between the involved units.

Enrollment: 328 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 60 to 99 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Patients 60 years old or older from Stjørdal- or Verdal municipality,

• given consent,
• admitted from their home,
• diagnostics completed and necessary treatment started
• the patient need not less than 3-4 days institutionalization for treatment/rehabilitation/care

Exclusion criteria

• Patients with severe dementia
• Patients with severe disease who cannot give consent
• Patients with severe disease with short life expectancy (including severe cancer)

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Non-Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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328 participants in 3 patient groups

Intermediate care unit

Experimental group

Description:

Follow-up treatment and care in a intermediate care unit after discharge from hospital

Treatment:

Other: Intermediate care unit

Local health care 1

Active Comparator group

Description:

Discharge from hospital to usual care as provided by the local health and social care (Verdal)

Treatment:

Other: Local health care 1

Local health care 2

Active Comparator group

Description:

Discharge from hospital to usual care as provided by the local health and social care (Stjørdal)

Treatment:

Other: Local health care 2