Comparison of the Functional Status, Psychosocial Aspects and Discharge Locations of Geriatric Patients Before and After Inpatient Geriatric Rehabilitation

Effectiveness Analysis of Inpatient Geriatric Rehabilitation According to the Valensian Model

Due to demographic change in Switzerland, the proportion of older people in the population is expected to increase. It is therefore important that people in old age remain in the best of health and maintain their independence for a long time.

To this end, the investigators would like to demonstrate the effectiveness of inpatient geriatric rehabilitation at the Valens clinics. This will be done by comparing independence, quality of life, physical and mental health, mobility and hand strength on admission and discharge.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Quality of Life; Movement Disorders; Sarcopenia; Old Age; Debility; Weak; Senile

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 753

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Switzerland
  • St.Gallen
    • Walenstadtberg, St.Gallen, Switzerland, 8881
      • Kliniken Valens, Rehazentrum Walenstadtberg

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Age greater than 65 years

Presence of multimorbidity

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• All patients who were treated as inpatients at the Kliniken Valens Geriatric Rehabilitation according to ICF criteria between 2020 and 2023 will be included.
• Signed the general consent for the further use of their health-related data for research, version 1.2, dated November 18, 2019.

Exclusion Criteria:

• No written consent was provided.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Classification of diagnosis into internal medicine, neurological, or orthopedic/surgical categories	Number of participants with diagnoses are divided into 3 groups: internal medicine, neurology and orthopedic/surgical. The diagnoses are determined and documented at hospital admission based on prior clinical assessments, laboratory results, and imaging studies. They are classified into one of three categories: Internal medicine (e.g., cardiovascular, respiratory diseases), Neurological (e.g., stroke, neuropathies) or Orthopedic/surgical (e.g., fractures, joint disorders). This classification reflects the patient's primary diagnosis at the time of study enrollment.	At baseline (upon hospital admission and study enrollment)
Cumulative Health Rating Scale (CIRS)	The Cumulative Illness Rating Scale is a tool used to measure the overall burden of chronic illnesses across multiple organ systems. Each system is rated from 0 (no problem) to 4 (severe problem), and the scores are added up to reflect a patient's total morbidity. It is commonly used in geriatrics to assess multimorbidity and help predict health outcomes.	At baseline (upon hospital admission and study enrollment)
Functional Independence Measure (FIM)	The FIM assesses how independently a person can perform daily activities. It uses an 18-item scale covering motor and cognitive tasks, each rated from 1 (total assistance needed) to 7 (complete independence). The total score reflects the level of disability and the amount of assistance required for daily living. Higher scores mean greater independence.	At baseline (upon hospital admission and study enrollment) and at discharge from the clinic after a stay of approx. 21 days
Health-related quality of life (EQ5D-5VAS)	The EQ-5D-5VAS is a brief, standardized questionnaire for measuring health-related quality of life. It consists of two parts Descriptive system: Assesses five dimensions-mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression-each with five levels of severity, allowing patients to describe their health state precisely and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS): Patients rate their overall health on a scale from 0 (worst imaginable health) to 100 (best imaginable health), providing a quantitative self-assessment	At baseline (upon hospital admission and study enrollment) and at discharge from the clinic after a stay of approx. 21 days
Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System - (PROMIS-10)	It is a short, 10-item questionnaire that measures subjective physical and mental health from the patient's perspective. It covers areas like physical function, pain, fatigue, emotional distress and social health. It helps researchers understand how the patients are feeling in terms of both body and mind. Higher scores indicate better health.	At baseline (upon hospital admission and study enrollment) and at discharge from the clinic after a stay of approx. 21 days
Timed Up and Go Test (TUG)	The Timed Up and Go (TUG) test is a simple test for assessing mobility and balance. The person stands up from a chair, walks three meters, turns around, walks back, and sits down again. The time required to complete the task is measured.	At baseline (upon hospital admission and study enrollment) and at discharge from the clinic after a stay of approx. 21 days
Grip strength measured by the Jamar Hand Dynamometer	The Jamar Hand Dynamometer is a standardized instrument used to measure grip strength, which reflects the maximum force exerted by the hand muscles during a squeeze. The grip strength is an important functional outcome and indicator of overall muscle strength and physical health. It is a reliable, non-invasive, and easy-to-administer test that provides valuable information about the participant's muscular strength and functional status. Participants will be asked to squeeze the dynamometer handle with maximum effort for a few seconds. The device will record the force applied, reported in kilograms.	At baseline (upon hospital admission and study enrollment) and at discharge from the clinic after a stay of approx. 21 days

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Age of participants	Participant age will be recorded in years at the time of study enrollment. Age is an important demographic variable used to characterize the study population and to analyze outcomes by age groups if applicable.	At baseline (upon hospital admission and study enrollment)
Gender of participants	Participant gender will be recorded as male, female, or other at the time of study enrollment. Gender is a key demographic variable to describe the study population and analyze potential differences in outcomes.	At baseline (upon hospital admission and study enrollment)
Marital status of participants	Marital status will be recorded at the time of study enrollment and categorized as single, married, divorced, widowed, or other. This demographic information helps to characterize the study population and may be used to analyze its influence on health outcomes.	At baseline (upon hospital admission and study enrollment)
Place of residence of participants	Participants' place of residence will be recorded at the time of study enrollment. This information may include urban or rural status, region, or postal code. It helps to describe the study population and assess potential geographic influences on health outcomes.	At baseline (upon hospital admission and study enrollment)
Length of hospital stay	The length of hospital stay will be recorded in days, calculated from the date of admission to the date of discharge. This measure reflects the duration of inpatient treatment and may be used to evaluate resource utilization and recovery time.	From the beginning of the study (at hospitalization and admission to the study) until discharge from the clinic after a stay of approx. 21 days

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Bern
• Investigators: Study Chair: Prof. Dr. Stefan Bachmann, Prof. Dr. med., University of Bern, Kliniken Valens

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): January 1, 2020
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 31, 2023
• Study Completion (Actual): December 31, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 12, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 12, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): August 20, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): August 20, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 12, 2025
• Last Verified: August 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Rehabilitation; Effectiveness; Geriatrics; Frailty
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Neurologic Manifestations; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Neuromuscular Manifestations; Pathologic Processes; Pathological Conditions, Anatomical; Muscular Atrophy; Atrophy; Frailty; Movement Disorders; Sarcopenia
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2025-00382; EKOS 25/028 (Other Identifier: Ethikkommission Ostschweiz (EKOS))

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No