An Emergency Department-To-Home Intervention to Improve Quality of Life and Reduce Hospital Use

ED Patients With Chronic Medical Illnesses Clinical Trial

Official title: An Emergency Department-To-Home Intervention to Improve Quality of Life and Reduce Hospital Use

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

The purpose of this study is to determine if assigning older, chronically ill patients a healthcare coach after they leave the Emergency Department (ED) improves their quality of life and reduces the need for hospital-based care.

Clinical Trial Description

Investigators will review the ED electronic medical record in real-time to determine ED patients' study eligibility. Older, chronically ill ED patients who are eligible and agree to participate in the study will be randomly assigned to a healthcare coach and Care Transition Intervention or usual, post-ED care.

At the time of enrollment, all subjects will be asked to provide informed consent for study investigators to request Medicare Claims to determine how many ED visits, hospital admissions and doctor office visits the subject had at least 30 days after the index ED visit. All research participants will be asked basic personal information such as age, race, sex, employment and marital status. All subjects will be asked to complete a baseline survey about their quality of life.

If the subject is assigned to the Care Transition Intervention, the healthcare coach will visit the subject at home within 3 days of the ED visit. The coach will talk with the subject about following up with a regular, personal doctor and symptoms that indicate a worsening health condition. The coach will help the subject understand their medicines and help the subject make a personal health record (PHR). The coach will tell the subject about the Area Agency on Aging. If the subject receives usual care, they but will be given the usual discharge instructions from the ED nurse and doctor. If the subject receives the Care Transition Intervention, the coach will also call the subject at least 3 times after the ED visit and review the same items listed above.

All enrolled subjects will be asked to complete a phone survey within 31-60 days of the ED visit. This survey will again ask subjects about their quality of life. ;

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• ED Patients With Chronic Medical Illnesses
• Emergencies

• NCT number: NCT02079987
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: University of Florida
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: May 3, 2014
• Completion date: March 10, 2017