Seniors Guardian: A Monitoring Platform for the Elderly (SEMONE)

Universidad de Valparaiso

Status: Completed

Conditions: Quality of Life

Treatments: Device: Telemonitoring sensors

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03891771

CEC181-18

Details and patient eligibility

About

This pilot study evaluates whether a telemonitoring platform of activities of daily living amongst the elderly can improve their quality of life. Participants will be randomised to two different follow-up strategies, one comprising a monitoring platform and the other standard visits at a healthcare facility. Quality of life will be assessed using standardised questionnaires.

Full description

Elderly participants at perceived socioeconomic risk will be randomised in a 1:1 ratio to receive either a telemonitoring platform in their houses or standard health care. The platform will include sensors able to detect falls, nocturia (which have been previously validated) and sensors for environmental variables including humidity, carbon monoxide levels and temperature. In addition, a wearable panic button will be provided for participants allocated to the sensor platform which will allow them to obtain help in case of an emergency. The sensor platform will be connected to emergency services and healthcare providers,and they should receive and react to any anomaly detected in their readings.

Participants will be followed up for 10 months. Quality of life questionnaires, including the World Health Organisation's WHOQOL-BREF and the EQ-5D for health-related quality of life, will be used to address potential intervention effects.

Enrollment: 69 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 65+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Elderly participant (>65 years of age) perceived to be at socioeconomic risk
• Resident in the city of Valparaiso or San Antonio
• Lives alone
• Obtained a housing subsidy from the Servicio de Vivienda y Urbanismo (Housing and Urbanism Services)

Exclusion criteria

• Dementia
• Substance or alcohol abuse
• Inability to answer quality of life questionnaires due to medical or psychiatric morbidity
• Terminal illness (life expectancy under 6 months)
• Ownership of pets within the residence (ie. dogs, cats).
• Refusal to participate

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Triple Blind

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69 participants in 2 patient groups

Usual Care

No Intervention group

Description:

Patients allocated to usual care will receive standard follow-up procedures at their primary care facility.

Telemonitoring sensors

Experimental group

Description:

Patients allocated to this arm will receive a complex sensor platform aimed at detecting falls at home, nocturia and several environmental variables, including carbon monoxide concentrations, humidity and temperature. The system also includes a panic button that can be used to request assistance in emergencies.

Treatment:

Device: Telemonitoring sensors