Can we Predict Chronic Homelessness?

Cognitive Impairment Clinical Trial

Official title:

A Case-control Study to Determine Whether a Screening Measure of Executive Dysfunction, the Quick EXIT, is Predictive of Chronic Homelessness

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Not yet recruiting

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT01775683
• Other study ID #: 20120651-01H
• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• First received: September 25, 2012
• Last updated: January 22, 2013
• Start date: January 2013
• Est. completion date: September 2013

Study information

• Verified date: January 2013
• Source: Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Health authority: Canada: Ethics Review Committee
• Study type: Observational

Clinical Trial Summary

Homeless men and women suffer more illness and sooner death compared to housed people. Among the homeless, there is a group that suffers more illness than others. This group is usually homeless for several months, makes up a smaller proportion of homeless people and uses more resources from emergency shelters than other homeless people. Some have asked if a difference in thinking skills explains how people who are homeless for a long time need more help in getting and keeping housing compared to other homeless persons.

In this study, thinking skills that help a person plan and make decisions will be screened among those who have been homeless for a long time and those who were homeless for a short time. If there is a difference, then screening may change how future homeless people get the help they need.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Enrollment: 60
• Est. completion date: September 2013
• Est. primary completion date: September 2013
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: Both
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Men and women, greater than or equal to 18 years old, English speaking

• Group A: currently homeless and/or housed in an emergency shelter or housing facility for chronically homeless individuals = 6 months

• Group B: not homeless =4 times in the last 3 years and currently living in stable housing = 6 months and in the last 3 years, has been homeless = 1 month

Exclusion Criteria:

At the time of testing, individuals with the following characteristics will be excluded:

1. Altered mental status (determined by Nurse Coordinator through participant response to questions regarding orientation to person, place and season - score of at least 2/3 is considered intact mental status).

2. Present intoxication (determined by Nurse Coordinator through participant evaluation of odour, either alcohol or non-beverage alcohol).

3. Currently violent or aggressive towards testers (determined by Nurse Coordinator)

Study Design

Observational Model: Case Control, Time Perspective: Retrospective

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Cognition Disorders
• Cognitive Impairment

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Canada	The Ottawa Hospital Rehabilitation Centre	Ottawa	Ontario

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Canada, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	The Quick EXIT score		Within 2 weeks of recruitment	No
Secondary	The Colour Trails test score		Within 2 weeks of recruitment	No