HOspitals and patients WoRking in Unity (HOW R U?): telephone peer support to improve older patients' quality of life after emergency department discharge in Melbourne, Australia-a multicentre prospective feasibility study.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

To ascertain the feasibility and acceptability of the HOW R U? programme, a novel volunteer-peer postdischarge support programme for older patients after discharge from the emergency department (ED).

Design

A multicentre prospective mixed-methods feasibility study.

Setting

Two tertiary hospital EDs in metropolitan Melbourne, Australia.

Participants

A convenience sample of 39 discharged ED patients aged 70 years or over, with symptoms of social isolation, loneliness and/or depression.

Intervention

The HOW R U? intervention comprised weekly social support telephone calls delivered by volunteer peers for 3 months following ED discharge.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

The primary outcomes were feasibility of study proc

SUBMITTER: Lowthian JA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6009511 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature