This study evaluates the value of the automated notification service that allows more timely information access and sharing. A 12-month RCT will be conducted to determine the efficacy of the provision of the service to an elderly care and service provider in improving care and health outcomes of the elderly. Researchers will also examine whether the notification service will better support the carers for the coordination and prioritization of care and service delivery.
A research team at the University of Hong Kong is commissioned to conduct a study of the efficacy of providing an automated notification service, i.e., the "Encounter Notification Service," via the Electronic Health Record Sharing System (eHRSS) to an elderly caring and service provider that aims to facilitate more timely provision and coordination of healthcare services for home-dwelling elderly. With the access to the automated notification service containing up-to-date encounter information of the elderly in the eHRSS (e.g. discharge date from the public hospital, outpatient appointments), it is expected that the elderly caring and service provider can improve its allocation of resources and prioritize the provision of service to elderly patients who are in need, i.e., during the transition of care. As a result, the caring support and services provided by the elderly caring and service provider to the elderly can be more timely and effective, and an improvement in patient health outcomes can be expected. To obtain evidence to determine the value of the automated notification service, a systematic study of the efficacy is suggested. Thus, researchers set out to conduct a 12-month randomized controlled trial (RCT) to examine whether the provision of the automated notification service to the caring and service provider will result in improvements in care and health outcomes of the elderly. Also, researchers will assess whether the notification service will better support the carers for the coordination and prioritization of care and service provision and improve workflow and administrative procedures amongst different sectors. In this pilot study, the Senior Citizen Home Safety Association (SCHSA) is the participated elderly caring and service provider.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
The caring support and services provided by SCHSA will consist of multiple components, including standard call \& care center support, medical appointment reminder, assistance to reschedule appointment, follow-up calls with either nurse or health workers to monitor health situation of service recipients, assessing needs of service recipient for elderly home care and/or rehabilitation services, providing elderly home care and/or rehabilitation services based on assessment, assessing needs of service recipient for emotional and community support, providing additional emotional support via either social calls by volunteers or counseling by social workers, and making referrals for community support services.
Senior Citizen Home Safety Association
Hong Kong, Hong Kong
RECRUITINGchanges in the number of Accident and Emergency (A&E) visits
Time frame: from baseline to 6 and 12 months
changes in the number of non-attendance to outpatient appointments
Time frame: from baseline to 6 and 12 months
changes in the number of unplanned hospitalizations
Time frame: from baseline to 6 and 12 months
changes in the number of 30-day unplanned readmissions
Time frame: from baseline to 6 and 12 months
changes in the stability of health condition
measured by a questionnaire with items on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (worse outcome) to 5 (better outcome)
Time frame: from baseline to 6 and 12 months
changes in the understanding of the arrangement of outpatient appointments
measured by a questionnaire with items on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (worse outcome) to 5 (better outcome)
Time frame: from baseline to 6 and 12 months
changes in the elderly's perceptions of the services
measured by a questionnaire with items on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (worse outcome) to 5 (better outcome)
Time frame: from baseline to 6 and 12 months
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Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
864