NCT03442426

Transforming Primary Care for Older Canadians Living With Frailty

Completed NA Last updated 1 December 2022

What this trial tests

NA trial testing Integrated model of primary care in Frail Elderly Syndrome in 695 participants. Completed in 30 August 2022.

Timeline

20 November 2017

Primary endpoint
30 December 2020

30 August 2022

Quick facts

Lead sponsor	University of Waterloo
Phase	NA
Status	Completed
Study type	INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation	na
Design	single group
Masking	none
Primary purpose	health services research
Enrollment	695
Start date	20 November 2017
Primary completion	30 December 2020
Estimated completion	30 August 2022
Sites	3 locations across Canada

Drugs / interventions tested

• Integrated model of primary care

Conditions studied

• Frail Elderly Syndrome — all drugs for Frail Elderly Syndrome →

Sponsor

University of Waterloo

Who can join

70 and older, any sex, with Frail Elderly Syndrome. Patients with the condition only — healthy volunteers not accepted.

Sponsor's own description

It is well known that older Canadians are high users of health care services. What is less well known is that the health care system is not well-designed to meet the needs of those who use it most. Older persons look to their primary care practitioners to assess their needs and coordinate their care. Unfortunately, the health concerns of older persons are often missed in too-short office visits. They may need care from a variety of providers and services, but this care is often not well-coordinated. Older persons and their caregivers are the experts in their own needs and preferences, but often do not have a chance to participate fully in treatment decisions or care planning. As a result, they may have health problems that are not properly assessed, managed or treated resulting in poorer health, as well as preventable and expensive emergency department visits and hospital stays.

Improving the health of older Canadians means identifying health problems early. It means providing timely supports so that manageable concerns do not spiral out of control. And, above all, it means helping health care providers actively engage older patients and their family caregivers as partners in care. Patients want to make informed choices about their health and the care they receive, based on their personal values, preferences and goals, and informed by available evidence.

Nine primary care clinics in three provinces (Quebec, Ontario, Alberta) will use a quick screening tool to identify older patients who are at risk of becoming frail. This will help initiate referral to health care or support services where necessary. Innovative technology will be used to streamline the referral process and help assist older adults in decision-making about their care.

With support from the Canadian Frailty Network (CFN, formerly TVN), researchers, collaborators, health care providers and older adults from across Canada will work together to transform primary health care for frail elderly Canadians.

Publications & conference data

2 peer-reviewed publications reference this trial (live from Europe PMC):

1. Transforming primary care for older Canadians living with frailty: mixed methods study protocol for a complex primary care intervention.
   Stolee P, Elliott J, Giguere AM, Mallinson S, et al · · 2021 · cited 7× · PMID 33986044 · DOI 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-042911
2. A national intervention to support frail older adults in primary care: a protocol for an adapted implementation framework.
   Sims-Gould J, Elliott J, Tong CE, Giguère A, et al · · 2021 · cited 5× · PMID 34348660 · DOI 10.1186/s12877-021-02395-4