Pilot Project: Community Health Assessment Program Through Emergency Medical Services

NCT02772263 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 14 210
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 79
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Older adults living in subsidized housing report poorer health. Their low income and age make it harder for them to use community services. Many older adults have heart disease and diabetes, which lead to frequent emergency calls and hospital admissions. To decrease the costs of treating heart disease and diabetes through emergency and hospitalization, improved screening and health education is needed. The Community Health Assessment Program through Emergency Medical Services (CHAP-EMS) program will take place in communal areas within housing buildings of older adults and deliver a heart disease, diabetes, and falls risk check-up with health education. This is expected to improve the health of older adults leading to fewer emergency calls and hospital visits. Paramedics on modified duties (e.g. injured) will conduct weekly, one-on-one drop-in sessions for seniors in a common area of one subsidized apartment building in Hamilton, Ontario.

Conditions

Cardiovascular Diseases; Diabetes Mellitus

Keywords

Paramedicine; Community Paramedic; Elderly

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in rate of EMS calls over 1 year

  Building-level change in EMS call rate (pre-post intervention)

  Baseline and 1 year

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Change in systolic and diastolic blood pressure over 1 year

  Baseline and after each assessment (up to 1 year)

• Change in Canadian Diabetes Risk (CANRISK) score over 1 year

  Baseline and 1 year

Study Arms (1)

CHAP-EMS Intervention

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants guided through a 15-20 minute defined risk assessment by a trained paramedic. Risk factors assessed were those related to cardiovascular and diabetes risk (blood pressure, diabetes-risk status, lifestyle factors), and potential for falls. Based on these, the paramedic provided education and developed an individualized action plan directing participants to use available community resources to assist them in addressing their risk factors. They were advised to return to CHAP-EMS sessions regularly for BP monitoring and follow-up. Each participant's information was faxed to his/her family physician once a month.

Other: CHAP-EMS

Interventions

CHAP-EMS OTHER

The CHAP-EMS program is a low cost community program that is designed to assess community dwelling seniors for lifestyle risk factors that may impact their health and well-being and to provide targeted education to address the pertinent risk factors. Each participant is guided through a structured health-risk assessment focused on diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other potential health issues. The assessment is conducted by a trained paramedic in a common area within the community housing building. Data gathered are used to develop individualized action plans concerning health-risk reduction, to direct participants to local health activities or resources, educate on promoting health and to transmit this information to a participants' family physician.

CHAP-EMS Intervention

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 65 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Living in intervention building
• Aged 65 or over

You may not qualify if:

• Not living in intervention building
• Under aged 65

Sponsors & Collaborators

• McMaster University: lead

Study Sites (1)

McMaster University

Hamilton, Ontario, L8S4K1, Canada

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Agarwal G, Angeles R, Pirrie M, Marzanek F, McLeod B, Parascandalo J, Dolovich L. Effectiveness of a community paramedic-led health assessment and education initiative in a seniors' residence building: the Community Health Assessment Program through Emergency Medical Services (CHAP-EMS). BMC Emerg Med. 2017 Mar 9;17(1):8. doi: 10.1186/s12873-017-0119-4.

  PMID: 28274221 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Cardiovascular Diseases; Diabetes Mellitus

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Glucose Metabolism Disorders; Metabolic Diseases; Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases; Endocrine System Diseases

Study Officials

• Gina Agarwal

  McMaster University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 3, 2016
• First Posted: May 13, 2016
• Study Start: November 1, 2013
• Primary Completion: December 1, 2014
• Study Completion: December 1, 2014
• Last Updated: May 13, 2016

Record last verified: 2016-05

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

CA (1)