Academic Geriatric Medicine, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, Hampshire, UK
NIHR ARC Wessex, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
BMJ Open. 2023 Mar 16;13(3):e069533. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-069533.
Physical activity (PA) and replete nutritional status are key to maintaining independence and improving frailty status among frail older adults. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare has increasingly turned to virtual modes of delivery and there is interest in the use of trained volunteers to deliver PA and nutrition interventions. We aim to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of training hospital volunteers to deliver an online intervention, comprising exercise, behaviour change and nutrition support, to older people with frailty after discharge from hospital.
We will use a quasi-experimental mixed methods approach. Hospital volunteers (n=6) will be trained to deliver an online, 3-month, multimodal intervention to frail (Clinical Frailty Scale ≥5) adults ≥65 years (n=30) after discharge from hospital. Feasibility will be assessed by determining the number of volunteers recruited, trained and retained at the end of the study; the proportion of intervention sessions delivered; participant recruitment, retention and adherence to the intervention. To determine the acceptability of the intervention, interviews will be conducted among a purposive sample of older adults, and volunteers. Secondary outcomes will include physical function, appetite, well-being, quality of life, anxiety and depression, self-efficacy for managing chronic disease and PA. Outcomes will be measured at baseline, 3 months and 6 months.
Descriptive statistics will be used to describe feasibility and adherence to the intervention. Secondary outcomes at baseline will be compared at 3 and 6 months. Interviews will be transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis.
Health Research Authority ethical approval was obtained on 30 May 2022 (reference: 22/WA/0155). Results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journal articles, volunteer organisations, National Health Service communication systems and social media platforms. A toolkit will be developed to facilitate roll out of volunteer training.
NCT05384730.
体力活动（PA）和充足的营养状况是维持虚弱老年人独立性和改善虚弱状态的关键。为了应对 COVID-19 大流行，医疗保健越来越多地转向虚拟交付模式，并且有兴趣使用经过培训的志愿者来提供 PA 和营养干预。我们旨在评估培训医院志愿者向从医院出院后的虚弱老年人提供在线干预（包括运动、行为改变和营养支持）的可行性和可接受性。
我们将使用准实验混合方法。医院志愿者（n=6）将接受培训，以向从医院出院后≥65 岁的虚弱（临床虚弱量表≥5）成年人提供为期 3 个月的在线多模式干预（n=30）。通过确定研究结束时招募、培训和保留的志愿者人数、提供的干预课程比例、参与者招募、保留和对干预的依从性来评估可行性。为了确定干预的可接受性，将对一个有目的的老年人和志愿者样本进行访谈。次要结局包括身体功能、食欲、幸福感、生活质量、焦虑和抑郁、管理慢性病和 PA 的自我效能。将在基线、3 个月和 6 个月测量结局。
将使用描述性统计来描述可行性和对干预的依从性。将在基线比较 3 个月和 6 个月的次要结局。访谈将逐字转录并使用主题分析进行分析。
健康研究管理局于 2022 年 5 月 30 日获得伦理批准（参考号：22/WA/0155）。结果将通过同行评审的期刊文章、志愿者组织、国家卫生服务沟通系统和社交媒体平台进行传播。将开发一个工具包，以方便志愿者培训的推出。
NCT05384730。
