Clinical Trial: Feasibility of Risk Sign Displays to Prevent Falls, Dehydration and Pulmonary Aspiration in Nursing Homes

Study Status: Recruiting
Recruit Status: Recruiting
Study Type: Interventional

Official Title: Feasibility of Risk Sign Displays to Prevent Falls, Dehydration and Pulmonary Aspiration in Nursing Homes: a Clinical Study Protocol

Brief Summary:

BACKGROUND: Prior research has shown a relationship between dehydration, falls and pulmonary aspiration among older adults in nursing and health care facilities, which contributes to its loss of independence and quality-of-life. Is believed that improving communication among health professional decreases the number of adverse events in institutionalized patients. This study will evaluate the feasibility of a set of sign displays designed to communicate fall, dehydration and pulmonary aspiration risks and will reflect on tailored interventions to manage these events in nursing homes.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This will be a national, single-center, feasibility study. All patients, with chronic neurologic diseases selected from a nursing home, will be invited to participate. At baseline patients will undertake a screening risk assessment and it will be attributed a correspondent risk display. Study duration will be a minimum of 3 months per participant, including daily record of events and monthly interview assessments. Events data will be compared with historical data extracted retrospectively from medical and nursing charts.


Detailed Summary:

  1. Preparation phase - teaching session for health professionals An initial teaching session will be held to train and familiarize health professionals with the usage of the sign displays and corresponding intervention procedures. The training will also consist of memorizing/training the definition given to falls, dehydration and pulmonary aspiration and redefining registration of such events in the software. During the training session, any queries from the professionals will be explained. The investigators expect the training will last 60 minutes. This training will be accompanied by written information with the definition of a fall, pulmonary aspiration and dehydration, and specific instructions on what procedures to undertake for each risk sign display. Additionally, the researcher will exemplify the procedure practically, if needed.

  2. Screening All patients will be invited to participate if they fulfil inclusion criteria. The nurse team from CNS nursing home will propose patients for recruitment and a multidisciplinary team will discuss and decided their study inclusion. In case of incapacity for the patients to give informed consent, family members will then be asked for consent and authorization of screening visit. Informed consent containing comprehensive information about objectives, duration, procedures, voluntariness and possible risks of study participation, will be obtained from patients before any study related proceedings. During the screening visit, an explanation of the objective and compliance needed for the study will be given to the participants and caregivers and all questions will be considered and answered.

    Demographics data, clinical manifestations and disease management, co-morbidities and past medical conditions will be obtained using a st
    Sponsor: Campus Neurológico Sénior

    Current Primary Outcome: Patients' adherence trough the number of times and reasons to taken off the risk display or refused to use during the period of the study and/or withdrawing from the study [ Time Frame: Minimum of 3 months ]

    Original Primary Outcome: Same as current

    Current Secondary Outcome:

    • Patients' satisfaction with the sign displays measured with a 7-point likert scale and open-ended questions. [ Time Frame: Minimum of 3 months ]
    • Health professionals' satisfaction measured with sign displays through 7-point likert scale and open-ended questions regarding the overall benefits of using the displays and overall perception of its impact on decreasing risk. [ Time Frame: Minimum of 3 months ]
    • Comparison to historical medical and nursing charts data review of the relative frequency of number of events per number of days of hospitalization registered during the period of the study, with in an equal period of time, one year before. [ Time Frame: Minimum of 3 months ]
    • Type and frequency of adverse events recorded during the period of the study [ Time Frame: Minimum of 3 months ]


    Original Secondary Outcome: Same as current

    Information By: Campus Neurológico Sénior

    Dates:
    Date Received: March 7, 2017
    Date Started: November 1, 2016
    Date Completion: May 30, 2017
    Last Updated: April 18, 2017
    Last Verified: March 2017