Clinical Trial Summary
The present study "Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment for frail older people in Swedish acute
care settings - a randomized controlled study" comprises two study arms: one intervention and
one control group. It is a multicentre trial with 5 centres with diverse local conditions in
different parts of Sweden, with an implementation study alongside.
The intervention "Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) for frail older people" addresses
people 75 years and older who are seeking acute hospital care at the hospital emergency
department, and who are identified as frail. The CGA intervention, including a
multidisciplinary team that assesses the patients socio-demographic background, social
network, health and medical history, medications, functional status, cognitive status,
nutritional status, somatic status and psychosocial status including depression, as well as
treatment and planning for discharge and follow-up, contributes to a person-centred, and a
comprehensive assessment tailored for each person. The results of this study are expected to
optimize the implementation of future complex interventions and lead to the improvement of
the care, support and rehabilitation for frail older people with complex needs.
This study will contribute to an evidence base for full scale implementation of CGA in
Swedish hospital care. The process evaluation, aiming to provide insight into function and
consequences of the intervention, why it works or fails, is an important part of the design
that will contribute with insights into real life conditions that may be challenging in
implementing CGA. The investigators will evaluate fidelity and quality of the implementation,
clarify causal mechanisms and identify contextual factors associated with variation in
outcomes. The development of screening for frailty and CGA are potential and important tools
to identify needs of this older population, and to direct the right health care actions
towards those in most need.
The study will address the following research questions:
1. Can Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment for frail older patients in Swedish acute
hospital settings:
- increase/maintain independence, functional status, health related quality of life
and life satisfaction?
- increase satisfaction with health care?
- reduce health care consumption?
2. How feasible and acceptable are the study processes and procedures of CGA from the
perspective of care givers and older persons in Swedish settings?
