Effects of a Structured Occupational Therapy Intervention in an Acute Geriatric Unit

NCT ID: NCT01094002

Last Updated: 2010-04-12

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 400 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2002-11-30
• Study Completion Date: 2003-06-30

Brief Summary

Objectives: To compare the benefits of structured occupational therapy intervention by a single geriatric therapist with the benefits of the conventional treatment model in the functional recovery of patients admitted to an acute geriatric unit.

Design: Non-pharmacological randomised clinical trial. Setting: Acute Geriatric Unit, Albacete, Spain. Participants: The trial included 400 patients admitted consecutively over 6 months to an acute geriatric unit for acute illness or exacerbation of a chronic medical condition. Participants were randomised to the occupational therapy intervention or conventional treatment model group; 198 patients received occupational therapy. All patients completed the study. The mean age was 83.5, and 56.8% were women.

Interventions: Needs assessment, iatrogenic prevention, retraining in basic and instrumental activities of daily living, assessment of need for technical aids, instruction for primary caregiver in patient mobilisation techniques, and structured social and occupational motivation as per protocol in three groups of patients (cardiopulmonary disease, stroke, and other conditions) 5 days a week, 30 to 45 minutes a day over the entire hospital stay.

Conditions

Occupational Therapy

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: DOUBLE

Study Groups

Occupational therapy intervention (OTI)

198 subjects. The OTI schedule consisted of a daily 45-minute session, Monday through Friday, for the duration of hospitalisation. Activities were carried out in a structured manner and varied according to need and day of admission. On the first day, the patient's needs were analysed, including the need for iatrogenic prevention, retraining in basic and instrumental activities of daily living, technical aids, instruct the primary caregiver in patient mobilisation techniques, and social and occupational motivation. All OTI participants received an average of 5 sessions during hospitalisation.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Occupational therapy intervention

Intervention Type: OTHER

Day 1: Physical, functional, cognitive, social, and emotional assessment. Need analysis for iatrogenic prevention, retraining in BADL and IADL, technical aids, instructions in patient mobilisation techniques, and for social and occupational motivation.

Day 2 until discharge: 45-minute sessions. Cognitive stimulation and confusional syndrome prevention, instructions to the caregivers on how to prevent complications such as immobility, delirium, falls, urinary incontinence, or pressure sores, and patient stimulation, retraining in activities of daily living.

Day of discharge: Instruction for caregivers on managing the patient's residual deficits, assessment for technical aids, recommendations for patient increased independence in ADL, and social and occupational activities.

Conventional treatment model group

202 subjects. All subjects received medical treatment, nursing care, physical therapy, and social assistance in accordance with the usual practice of the geriatrics unit.

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

Occupational therapy intervention

Day 1: Physical, functional, cognitive, social, and emotional assessment. Need analysis for iatrogenic prevention, retraining in BADL and IADL, technical aids, instructions in patient mobilisation techniques, and for social and occupational motivation.

Day 2 until discharge: 45-minute sessions. Cognitive stimulation and confusional syndrome prevention, instructions to the caregivers on how to prevent complications such as immobility, delirium, falls, urinary incontinence, or pressure sores, and patient stimulation, retraining in activities of daily living.

Day of discharge: Instruction for caregivers on managing the patient's residual deficits, assessment for technical aids, recommendations for patient increased independence in ADL, and social and occupational activities.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• All patients age 65 or older consecutively admitted to the acute geriatric unit at the Complejo Hospitalario Universitario in Albacete, Spain, between November 2002 and June 2003 for an acute medical illness or exacerbation of a previous chronic condition

Exclusion Criteria

• None

• Minimum Eligible Age: 65 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Instituto Ciencias de la Salud, Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha

UNKNOWN

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Albacete

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Albacete

Locations

Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Albacete

Albacete, Albacete, Spain

Countries

Spain

References

Abizanda P, Navarro JL, Romero L, Leon M, Sanchez-Jurado PM, Dominguez L. Upper extremity function, an independent predictor of adverse events in hospitalized elderly. Gerontology. 2007;53(5):267-73. doi: 10.1159/000102541. Epub 2007 May 8.

Reference Type: RESULT

PMID: 17495480 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

PI02069-00

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id