Effectiveness of the "Elderly Activity Performance Intervention" on elderly patients' discharge from a short-stay unit at the emergency department: a quasi-experimental trial

Purpose: To examine the effectiveness of the Elderly Activity Performance Intervention on
reducing the risk of readmission in elderly patients discharged from a short-stay unit at the
emergency department.
Patients and methods: The study was conducted as a nonrandomized, quasi-experimental
trial. Three hundred and seventy-five elderly patients were included and allocated to the Elderly
Activity Performance Intervention (n=144) or usual practice (n=231). The intervention consisted
of 1) assessment of the patients’ performance of daily activities, 2) referral to further rehabilitation,
and 3) follow-up visit the day after discharge. Primary outcome was readmission (yes/no)
within 26 weeks. The study was registered in ClinicalTrial.gov (NCT02078466).
Results: No between-group differences were found in readmission. Overall, 44% of the
patients in the intervention group and 42% in the usual practice group were readmitted within
26 weeks (risk difference=0.02, 95% CI: [−0.08; 0.12] and risk ratio=1.05, 95% CI: [0.83; 1.33]).
No between-group differences were found in any of the secondary outcomes.
Conclusion: The Elderly Activity Performance Intervention showed no effectiveness in
reducing the risk of readmission in elderly patients discharged from a short-stay unit at the
emergency department. The study revealed that 60% of the elderly patients had a need for
further rehabilitation after discharge.