Optimal@NRW: Optimized Acute Care of Nursing Home Residents Using an Intersectoral Telemedical Cooperation Network - Study Protocol for a Stepped-wedge Trial

Overview

Journal Trials

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialties General Medicine
Pharmacology

Date 2022 Sep 27

PMID 36167557

Authors

David Brucken

Jenny Unterkofler

Sophie Pauge

Jonas Bienzeisler

Christian Hubel

Sebastian Zechbauer

Rolf Rossaint

Wolfgang Greiner

Birthe Aufenberg

Rainer Rohrig

Leo Cornelius Bollheimer

Jorg Christian Brokmann

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Increasing life expectancy is associated with a growing number of people living in nursing homes, while the availability of outpatient medical care, especially from family doctors, is stagnating in this sector. Consequently, numerous and often avoidable, low-threshold hospitalizations of nursing home residents are observed. This results in unnecessary use of resources such as emergency services and emergency rooms as well as in potential health risks to the nursing home residents related to hospitalization. This study aims to improve this healthcare gap by implementing an intersectoral telemedicine approach.

Methods: Twenty-five nursing homes are participating and provided with telemedical equipment to perform teleconsultations. Additionally, an early warning system and a digital patient record system are implemented. Telephysicians based at RWTH Aachen University Hospital are ready to support the nursing homes around the clock if the family doctor or an emergency service practice is not available in time. Mobile non-physician practice assistants from the telemedicine centre can be dispatched to perform delegable medical activities. General practitioners and the medical emergency practices also have access to the telemedical infrastructure and the non-physician practice assistants.

Discussion: Optimal@NRW adds a telemedicine component to standard care - combining elements of outpatient and inpatient health care as well as emergency service practices - to enable timely medical consultation for nursing home residents in case of the development of an acute medical condition. In addition to optimized medical care, the goal is to reduce unnecessary hospital admissions. The intersectoral approach allows for the appropriate use of resources to match the individually needed medical treatment.

Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04879537 . Registered on May 10, 2021.

Citing Articles

Ethical acceptability of telemedicine: Nursing home resident's perspective on telemedical consultations.

Sira N, Gross D, Wilhelmy S Digit Health. 2024; 10:20552076241288368.

PMID: 39484651 PMC: 11526395. DOI: 10.1177/20552076241288368.

[Focusing on intersectorality-strategies and current research projects for the care of geriatric people].

Unterkofler J, Hertwig M, Bollheimer L, Brokmann J Bundesgesundheitsblatt Gesundheitsforschung Gesundheitsschutz. 2024; 67(5):595-604.

PMID: 38478025 PMC: 11093782. DOI: 10.1007/s00103-024-03851-3.

Models for delivery and co-ordination of primary or secondary health care (or both) to older adults living in aged care facilities.

Putrik P, Grobler L, Lalor A, Ramsay H, Gorelik A, Karnon J Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2024; 3:CD013880.

PMID: 38426600 PMC: 10905654. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD013880.pub2.

Telemedicine in nursing homes: Insights on the social acceptance and ethical acceptability of telemedical consultations.

Offermann J, Ziefle M, Sira N, Gross D, Wilhelmy S Digit Health. 2023; 9:20552076231213444.

PMID: 37954688 PMC: 10637160. DOI: 10.1177/20552076231213444.

[Nursing home-sensitive conditions and approaches to reduce hospitalization of nursing home residents].

Valk-Draad M, Bohnet-Joschko S Bundesgesundheitsblatt Gesundheitsforschung Gesundheitsschutz. 2023; 66(2):199-211.

PMID: 36625862 PMC: 9830609. DOI: 10.1007/s00103-022-03654-4.

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