Effectiveness of a Nurse-Led Transitional Care Model Based on the Fundamentals of Care Framework (NURSE-LEDFOC)
This study aims to find out whether nurse-led transitional care can help older adults with chronic health conditions recover safely after leaving the hospital. It also examines whether this approach can lower the risk of returning to the hospital within 30 days.
The study includes 652 adults aged 60 years or older with at least one long-term health condition. All participants were receiving care in medical wards at an Italian university hospital and were preparing to return home.
Participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups:
Nurse-led transitional care: Participants received additional care in a nurse-led unit before returning home. Nurses assessed their health and daily needs, provided personalized care and education, and helped plan a safe return home. This approach followed the Fundamentals of Care Framework, which focuses on meeting people's physical, emotional, and social care needs.
Usual care: Participants received standard hospital care and returned directly home after discharge, without the additional nurse-led transitional care program.
Researchers assessed participants' ability to perform daily activities, memory and thinking skills, risk of falls, and risk of developing pressure injuries (skin damage caused by prolonged pressure). They also checked whether participants returned to the hospital unexpectedly within 30 days.
By comparing the two groups, the study aims to understand whether additional nurse-led care can support recovery, improve independence, and help older adults remain safely at home after hospitalization.
Studieoversigt
Status
Status
Betingelser
Betingelser
Intervention / Behandling
Intervention / Behandling
Undersøgelsestype
Undersøgelsestype
Tilmelding (Faktiske)
Tilmelding
Fase
Fase
- Ikke anvendelig
Kontakter og lokationer
Studiesteder
-
-
-
Rome, Italien, 00133
- Nursing Department
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-
Deltagelseskriterier
Berettigelseskriterier
Berettigelseskriterier
Aldre berettiget til at studere
- Barn
- Voksen
- Ældre voksen
Tager imod sunde frivillige
Køn, der er berettiget til at studere
Beskrivelse
Inclusion Criteria:
- Adults aged 60 years or older.
- Diagnosis of at least one chronic condition (e.g., chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, heart disease, heart failure, musculoskeletal disorders, or hypertension).
- Ability to understand the study information and provide informed consent.
- Planned discharge from an acute medical ward to their own home.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Participants requiring daily assistance from a family member or informal caregiver to perform activities of daily living.
- Inability to understand the study information or provide informed consent.
- Planned discharge to other healthcare or residential care settings, such as nursing homes or rehabilitation centers.
Studieplan
Hvordan er undersøgelsen tilrettelagt?
Design detaljer
- Primært formål: Sundhedstjenesteforskning
- Tildeling: Randomiseret
- Interventionel model: Parallel tildeling
- Maskning: Enkelt
Antal våben
Våben og indgreb
Deltagergruppe / ArmDeltagergruppe / Arm |
Intervention / BehandlingIntervention / Behandling |
|---|---|
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Eksperimentel: Community Hospital
Participants assigned to this group received nurse-led transitional care in a Community Hospital before returning home. The intervention was based on the Fundamentals of Care Framework and included comprehensive nursing assessment, individualized care planning, daily clinical monitoring, patient education, and coordinated discharge planning. Nurses supported participants' physical, emotional, and social care needs, promoted self-care skills, and coordinated care with community health services. The maximum length of stay was 14 days, followed by a 30-day follow-up after discharge. |
The intervention was based on the Fundamentals of Care Framework and included comprehensive nursing assessment, individualized care planning, daily clinical monitoring, patient education, and coordinated discharge planning. Nurses supported participants' physical, emotional, and social care needs, promoted self-care skills, and coordinated care with community health services. The maximum length of stay was 14 days, followed by a 30-day follow-up after discharge. |
|
Aktiv komparator: Usual Care - Direct Discharge Home
Participants assigned to this group received usual care in acute medical wards and were discharged directly home after clinical stabilization. They received standard discharge instructions and routine care, without transfer to a Community Hospital or participation in the structured nurse-led transitional care program. Community health services were provided when indicated according to usual clinical practice. Participants were followed up 30 days after discharge. |
Participants received standard hospital care and returned directly home after discharge, without the additional nurse-led transitional care program. |
Hvad måler undersøgelsen?
Primære resultatmål
Primære resultatmål
Resultatmål |
Foranstaltningsbeskrivelse |
Tidsramme |
|---|---|---|
|
Unplanned Hospital Readmission Within 30 Days
Tidsramme: Within 30 days after final hospital discharge
|
The proportion of participants experiencing at least one unplanned hospital readmission within 30 days after final hospital discharge. Readmissions to any hospital in the Lazio region were identified using regional administrative hospital databases. The outcome was compared between the nurse-led transitional care group and the usual care group. |
Within 30 days after final hospital discharge
|
Sekundære resultatmål
Sekundære resultatmål
Resultatmål |
Foranstaltningsbeskrivelse |
Tidsramme |
|---|---|---|
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Change in Functional Independence Assessed by the Barthel Index
Tidsramme: Baseline and 30 days after final hospital discharge.
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Functional independence was assessed using the Barthel Index, which measures the ability to perform 10 basic activities of daily living, including feeding, bathing, dressing, mobility, and personal hygiene. Total scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater independence. Changes from baseline were compared between the two study groups. |
Baseline and 30 days after final hospital discharge.
|
|
Change in Pressure Injury Risk Assessed by the Braden Scale
Tidsramme: Baseline and 30 days after final hospital discharge.
|
The risk of developing pressure injuries was assessed using the Braden Scale, which evaluates six areas: sensory perception, skin moisture, physical activity, mobility, nutrition, and friction or shear. Total scores range from 6 to 23, with lower scores indicating a higher risk of pressure injuries. Changes from baseline were compared between the two study groups. |
Baseline and 30 days after final hospital discharge.
|
|
Change in Cognitive Status Assessed by the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire
Tidsramme: Baseline and 30 days after final hospital discharge.
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Cognitive status was assessed using the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire (SPMSQ), a 10-item instrument evaluating orientation, memory, and basic cognitive functioning. According to the scoring system used in this study, total scores range from 0 to 11, with higher scores indicating better cognitive functioning. Changes from baseline were compared between the two study groups. |
Baseline and 30 days after final hospital discharge.
|
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Change in Fall Risk Assessed by the Modified Morse Fall Scale
Tidsramme: Baseline and 30 days after final hospital discharge.
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Fall risk was assessed using a modified version of the Morse Fall Scale consisting of six dichotomous items. Total scores range from 0 to 6, with higher scores indicating greater fall risk. Scores of 0-2 indicate low risk, 3-4 moderate risk, and 5-6 high risk. Changes from baseline were compared between the two study groups. |
Baseline and 30 days after final hospital discharge.
|
Samarbejdspartnere og efterforskere
Sponsor
Sponsor
Publikationer og nyttige links
Generelle publikationer
- Saari H, Lonnroos E, Kautiainen H, Kokko S, Ryynanen OP, Mantyselka P. Incidence of short-term community hospital stays and clinical profiles of patients: the Finnish Community Hospital Cohort Study. Scand J Prim Health Care. 2024 Mar;42(1):82-90. doi: 10.1080/02813432.2023.2291671. Epub 2024 Feb 7.
- Sun M, Qian Y, Liu L, Wang J, Zhuansun M, Xu T, Rosa RD. Transition of care from hospital to home for older people with chronic diseases: a qualitative study of older patients' and health care providers' perspectives. Front Public Health. 2023 Apr 27;11:1128885. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1128885. eCollection 2023.
- Recio-Saucedo A, Dall'Ora C, Maruotti A, Ball J, Briggs J, Meredith P, Redfern OC, Kovacs C, Prytherch D, Smith GB, Griffiths P. What impact does nursing care left undone have on patient outcomes? Review of the literature. J Clin Nurs. 2018 Jun;27(11-12):2248-2259. doi: 10.1111/jocn.14058. Epub 2017 Oct 16.
Datoer for undersøgelser
Studer store datoer
Studiestart (Faktiske)
Studiestart
Primær færdiggørelse (Faktiske)
Primær færdiggørelse
Studieafslutning (Faktiske)
Studieafslutning
Datoer for studieregistrering
Først indsendt
Først indsendt
Først indsendt, der opfyldte QC-kriterier
Først indsendt, der opfyldte QC-kriterier
Først opslået (Faktiske)
Først opslået
Opdateringer af undersøgelsesjournaler
Sidste opdatering sendt (Faktiske)
Sidste opdatering sendt
Sidste opdatering indsendt, der opfyldte kvalitetskontrolkriterier
Sidste opdatering indsendt, der opfyldte kvalitetskontrolkriterier
Sidst verificeret
Sidst verificeret
Mere information
Begreber relateret til denne undersøgelse
Yderligere relevante MeSH-vilkår
Andre undersøgelses-id-numre
Andre undersøgelses-id-numre
- 669
- 2.26.3 (Andet bevillings-/finansieringsnummer: Center of Excellence for Culture and Research Nursing of the Professions Order Nursing of Rome)
Plan for individuelle deltagerdata (IPD)
Planlægger du at dele individuelle deltagerdata (IPD)?
IPD-planbeskrivelse
De-identified individual participant data underlying the results reported in this study may be made available to qualified researchers upon reasonable request to the corresponding author. Data sharing will be subject to approval of the research team and compliance with applicable ethical and data protection requirements. No directly identifiable participant information will be shared.
IPD-delingstidsramme
Beginning 6 months after publication of the study results and ending 5 years after publication
IPD-delingsadgangskriterier
De-identified individual participant data and supporting study documents may be made available to qualified researchers who submit a reasonable request to the corresponding author. Requests must include a research proposal describing the scientific objectives, planned analyses, and intended use of the data. Access will be subject to approval by the research team and compliance with applicable ethical and data protection requirements. Approved researchers will receive access to the data necessary for their proposed analyses through a secure data-sharing process. Data will not be made publicly available.
IPD-deling Understøttende informationstype
- STUDY_PROTOCOL
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