Decreasing hospitalizations through geriatric hotlines: a prospective French multicenter study of people aged 75 and above.

BACKGROUND: The Emergency unit of the hospital (Department) (ED) is the fastest and most common way for most French general practitioners (GPs) to respond to the complexity of managing older adults patients with multiple chronic diseases. In 2013, French regional health authorities proposed to set up telephone hotlines to promote interactions between GP clinics and hospitals. The main objective of our study was to analyze whether the hotlines and solutions proposed by the responding geriatrician reduced the number of hospital admissions, and more specifically the number of emergency room admissions. METHODS: We conducted a multicenter observational study from April 2018 to April 2020 at seven French investigative sites. A questionnaire was completed by all hotline physicians after each call. RESULTS: The study population consisted of 4,137 individuals who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Of the 4,137 phone calls received by the participants, 64.2% (n = 2 657) were requests for advice, and 35.8% (n = 1,480) were requests for emergency hospitalization. Of the 1,480 phone calls for emergency hospitalization, 285 calls resulted in hospital admission in the emergency room (19.3%), and 658 calls in the geriatric short stay (44.5%). Of the 2,657 calls for advice/consultation/delayed hospitalization, 9.7% were also duplicated by emergency hospital admission. CONCLUSION: This study revealed the value of hotlines in guiding the care of older adults. The results showed the potential effectiveness of hotlines in preventing unnecessary hospital admissions or in identifying cases requiring hospital admission in the emergency room. Hotlines can help improve the care pathway for older adults and pave the way for future progress. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registered under Clinical Trial Number NCT03959475. This study was approved and peer-reviewed by the Ethics Committee for the Protection of Persons of Sud Est V of Grenoble University Hospital Center (registered under 18-CETA-01 No.ID RCB 2018-A00609-46).

Therapeutic Fasting: Are Patients Aged 65 and Over Ready?

While being the main potential beneficiaries of therapeutic fasting's health benefits, the elderly are frequently thought of as being too fragile to fast. The main objective of our survey was to review the knowledge, practices, and acceptability of therapeutic fasting in subjects aged 65 years and over. From September 2020 to March 2021, an online questionnaire was sent to subjects aged 65 and over, using the mailing list of local organizations working in the field of aging. The mean age of the 290 respondents was 73.8 ± 6.5 years, 75.2% were women and 54.1% had higher education. Among the respondents, 51.7% had already fasted and 80.7% deemed therapeutic fasting interesting, 83.1% would be willing to fast if it was proven beneficial for their health, and 77.2% if it was proven to decrease the burden of chronic diseases. Subjects aged 65 to 74 years considered themselves as having the greatest physical and motivational abilities to perform therapeutic fasting. People aged 65 years, or more, are interested in therapeutic fasting and a large majority would be ready to fast if such practice was proven beneficial. These results pave the way for future clinical trials evaluating therapeutic fasting in elderly subjects.

Prospective multicentered study describing the health pathway of a short-stay geriatric population hospitalised through geriatric telephonic hotline / Étude prospective multicentrique décrivant le parcours de soins d'une population gériatrique hospitalisée en court séjour via une hotline gériatrique

Rationale: The ARS finance geriatric hotlines in order to improve the articulation between town medicine and the hospital. The objective of our study is to describe the health status and the care pathway of subjects aged over 75 years hospitalised in a geriatric short stay hospital via a geriatric hotline. Materials and methods: This prospective multicentre study included 1,451 subjects over 24 months. The primary endpoint was the average length of stay. The secondary endpoints were medico-socio-demographic data. Results: The population hospitalised via a hotline is comparable to that usually found in geriatric short stay services. The length of stay is correlated with the lifestyle and the mode of discharge (p < 0.001). There was a significant excess risk of non-return to the previous place of residence according to age, average length of stay, comorbidities and degree of dependence. Conclusion: The care pathway for elderly people over 75 years old hospitalised through the hotline is optimised, with an average length of stay of 14 days, demonstrating a good link between town medicine and hospital. This approach allows for the early management of elderly subjects in the geriatric care system.

Rationnel: Les Agences régionales de santé (ARS) financent des hotlines gériatriques en vue d'améliorer l'articulation entre la médecine de ville et l'hôpital. L'objectif de notre étude est de décrire l'état de santé et le parcours de soin des sujets âgés de plus de 75 ans hospitalisés en court séjour gériatrique via une hotline gériatrique. Matériel et méthode: Cette étude multicentrique prospective a inclus 1 451 sujets sur 24 mois. Le critère de jugement principal est la durée moyenne de séjour (DMS). Les critères de jugements secondaires sont les données médico-socio-démographiques. Résultats: La population hospitalisée via une hotline est comparable à celle habituellement retrouvée dans les services de court séjour gériatrique. La DMS est corrélée au mode de vie et au mode de sortie (p < 0,001). Il existe un surrisque significatif de non-retour au lieu de vie antérieur selon l'âge, la durée moyenne de séjour, les comorbidités et le degré de dépendance. Conclusion: Le parcours de soins du sujet âgé de plus de 75 ans passant par la hotline est optimisé avec une durée moyenne de séjour à 14 jours, témoignant d'une bonne articulation entre médecine de ville et hôpital. Cette démarche permet de prendre en charge précocement les sujets âgés dans la filière gériatrique.

[Therapeutic education in elderly over 75 years old living at home A pilot study of 48 patients]. / Éducation thérapeutique du sujet âgé chuteur de plus 75 ans vivant à domicile A propos d'une étude pilote de 48 patients.

Therapeutic patient education (TPE) allows elderly as well as young adults to evaluate patient's self-care and adaptation skills to their own clinical condition. Falling is a symptom present in various chronic diseases, which leads to loss of autonomy, fear of recidivism and frequent admissions into institutions. Study objective was to evaluate at 3 and 6 months the impact of TPE on fall recurrence, perceived quality of life and fear of falling, in elderly over 75 living at home. METHODS: We performed a prospective study comparing two groups: a group participating in day hospital (group "TPE") and a control group (group "Hospitalized") of elderly patient not receiving TPE recruited in short geriatric stays following a fall at home. RESULTS: 28 patients in the "TPE" group and 20 patients in the "Hospitalized" group were included. The "TPE" group reported significantly better perceived quality of life at 3 months and 6 months. At 6 months, fear of falling was twice as high in the "Hospitalized" group than in the "TPE" group. CONCLUSIONS: The group of subjects who was able to benefit from therapeutic education at home had an improved quality of life at 3 and 6 months and a decrease in the fear of falling at 6 months.

Impact of Geriatric Hotlines on Health Care Pathways and Health Status in Patients Aged 75 Years and Older: Protocol for a French Multicenter Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: In France, emergency departments (EDs) are the fastest and most common means for general practitioners (GPs) to cope with the complex issues presented by elderly patients with multiple conditions. EDs are overburdened, and studies show that being treated in EDs can have a damaging effect on the health of elderly patients. Outpatient care or planned hospitalizations are possible solutions if appropriate geriatric medical advice is provided. In 2013, France's regional health authorities proposed creating direct telephone helplines, "geriatric hotlines," staffed by geriatric specialists to encourage interactions between GP clinics and hospitals. These hotlines are designed to improve health care pathways and the health status of the elderly. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to describe the health care pathways and health status of patients aged 75 years and older hospitalized in short-stay geriatric wards following referral from a geriatric hotline. METHODS: The study will be conducted over 24 months in seven French university hospital centers. It will include all patients aged 75 and older, living in their own homes or nursing homes, who are admitted to short-stay geriatric wards following hotline consultation. Two questionnaires will be filled out by medical staff at specific time points: (1) after conducting the telephone consultation and (2) on admitting the patient to a short-stay geriatric medical care. The primary endpoint will be mean hospitalization duration. The secondary endpoints will be intrahospital mortality rate, the characteristics of patients admitted via the hotline, and the types of questions asked and responses given via the hotline. RESULTS: The study was funded by the National School for Social Security Loire department (École Nationale Supérieure de Sécurité Sociale) and the Conference for funders of prevention of autonomy loss for the elderly of the Loire department in November 2017. Institutional review board approval was obtained in April 2018. Data collection started in May 2018; the planned end date for data collection is May 2020. Data analysis will take place in the summer of 2020, and the first results are expected to be published in late 2020. CONCLUSIONS: The results will reveal whether geriatric hotlines provide the most effective management of elderly patients, as indicated by shorter mean hospitalization durations. Shorter hospital durations could lead to a reduced risk of complications-geriatric syndromes-and the domino chain of geriatric conditions that follow. We will also describe different geriatric hotlines from different cities and compare how they function to improve the health care of the elderly and pave the way toward new advances, especially in the organization of the care path. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03959475; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03959475. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/15423.

[Interest of follow-up of recommendations over a period of 6 months for elderly subjects who have been screened for frailty]. / Intérêt du suivi des préconisations sur une période de 6 mois pour des sujets âgés ayant bénéficié d'un dépistage de la fragilité.

Frailty is a partially reversible geriatric syndrome. Its prevention requires a structured screening, and is a major public health issue given the increasing life expectancy of the population. The observance of the recommendations made after a screening of the frailty patients is not well known. The objective of our research was to describe the characteristics of patients evaluated in a frailty-day-hospital and followed up recommendation adherence at 3 and 6 months. METHODS: patients aged over 65 years old with an ADL score of at least 5 out of 6, were evaluated according to the Fried score to classify patients into pre-frailty or frailty patients. According to the standardized geriatric assessment, recommendations were prescribed for each medico-social situation according to HAS recommendations. A follow-up assessment of these measures was carried out at home basis at 3 and 6 months. RESULTS: 82 patients were included, with mean age of 83.7±5.7 years. 99% were pre-frail or frail and received an average of 3.7±1.7 recommendations. At 3 months, there is an inverse correlation between number and follow-up compliance (r=-0.340, p=0.008), as well as at 6 months (r=-0.352, p=0.006). Between 3 and 6 months, there is a significant increase recommendation number followed (r=0.707, p=0.000). CONCLUSION: at 6 months, 74.3% recommendations were realized, with a significant increase of recommendation number between the 3rd and 6th month. This result is encouraging by showing the benefit of home support in recommendations follow-up.