Telehealth support after hospital stays for frail older adults

This pilot clinical trial aims to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of a telehealth-supported discharge programme on physical and mental health outcomes, and healthcare utilization among community-dwelling older adults with frailty after hospital discharge.

The objectives are:

• To determine the feasibility and acceptability of the programme by assessing participant recruitment, retention, adherence rates, and satisfaction;
• To evaluate the preliminary effects of the programme on a) physical health outcomes (e.g., physical fitness, activities of daily living), b) mental health outcomes (e.g., depressive symptoms, perceived social support, quality of life, subjective well-being), and c) healthcare utilization (e.g., emergency department visits, hospital readmissions); and
• To identify perceived barriers and facilitators of the programme and evaluate the acceptability and usability of gerontechnology activity sensors and pedometers for monitoring activity levels.

Community-dwelling older adults 65 years with frailty (N=50) will be recruited through a local hospital. Participants will be randomized to either the intervention or control group. The 12-week telehealth discharge support programme consists of weekly reablement-focused sessions integrating gerontechnology activity sensors and pedometers to enhance physical and mental health outcomes. Both groups will continue to receive usual care.

Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize participant data. Effect sizes will be calculated to estimate the effects of the intervention on the outcomes. Qualitative data will be analyzed using thematic analysis.