Pilot Study: Complementary Therapies in Geriatric Patients

Charité University Medicine Berlin

Status: Completed

Conditions: Geriatric Patients

Treatments: Other: Routine care therapy; Other: CAM-intervention

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT00974506

CAMGER09

Details and patient eligibility

About

In a randomized controlled pilot study the investigators include geriatric patients living in a geriatric residential community. Two interventions are compared:

1. a complex intervention containing exercise therapy, nutritional advice, homeopathy and naturopathy in addition to routine therapy by the general practitioner
2. routine care by general practitioner

The investigators assess the effect of the complex intervention on activities of daily living (AMPS, Barthel Index, Nosger), quality of life (Qualidem, Profile of Wellbeing), risk of falls (Tinetti), falls, cognition (Minimental Status Test), hospital admissions, medication use.

The results of this exploratory study are needed to plan a randomized controlled trial (RCT) with confirmatory design in the future.

Enrollment: 50 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 70+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• living in shared flat/residential community
• informed consent of patient or authorized representative

Exclusion criteria

• participation in another study within the last 6 months
• acute or chronic disease condition that does not allow participation
• actual use of complementary therapies

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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50 participants in 2 patient groups

CAM-intervention

Active Comparator group

Description:

Complex intervention containing exercise therapy, nutritional advice, homeopathic treatment, naturopathic treatment in addition to routine therapy by general practitioner

Treatment:

Other: CAM-intervention

Routine care therapy

Active Comparator group

Description:

Routine care therapy by general practitioner

Treatment:

Other: Routine care therapy