The RAD-HOME Project: a Pilot Study of Domiciliary Teleradiology

Azienda Ospedaliera San Giovanni Battista69 enrolled

Overview

Aim of the study is to assess feasibility and safety of a public territorial radiology service for home hospitalized frail elderly patients whose health conditions discourage the transportation to hospital.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Masking

SINGLE

Enrollment

Conditions

Acute Congestive Heart Failure Exacerbation of COPD Pneumonia Fractures Osteomyelitis

Interventions

Home X-raysRADIATION

X-rays examinations performed at home

X-rays in hospitalRADIATION

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 65 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * immobilization or chairbound, * need for chest, pelvis/hips, joints, upper and lower limbs, hands and feet X-rays, * absence of definite delirium at enrollment according to the Confusion Assessment Method, and * intermediate or high risk of delirium according to the criteria of Inouye. Exclusion Criteria: * need of urgent examination (within 24 hours), * need of X-ray examinations not suitable at home.

Locations (1)

San Giovanni Battista Hospital

Torino, Italy

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Comparison of episodes of delirium related to the radiological procedure at home and in hospital, using the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM)

Frail patients, especially old ones,often develop delirium or confusion when moved from their usual environment. In home-hospitalized patients with the same risk of developing delirium, according to the Inouye's criteria, we evaluated the onset of a confusional status after X-rays performed at home or in hospital

Time frame: 24 hours after the radiological procedure

Secondary Outcomes

Evaluation of direct and indirect costs of the radiological procedures performed at home or in hospital

Evaluation of costs includes: costs for transportation, ambulance, equipment (eg, processing costs), materials (eg, CD), technical staff (eg, radiographers, radiologists); for the control group: costs for working time employed by family members and health staff to bring patients to hospital for X.ray examination

Time frame: 1 year

Satisfaction of patients and/or families

Customer satisfaction is evaluated using an ad hoc questionnaire

Time frame: within 1 month after the procedure

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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