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Purpose: Older patients with COVID-19 can present with atypical complaints, such as falls or delirium. In other diseases, such an atypical presentation is associated with worse clinical outcomes. However, it is not known whether this extends to COVID-19. We aimed to study the association between atypical presentation of COVID-19, frailty and adverse outcomes, as well as the incidence of atypical presentation. Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational multi-center cohort study in eight hospitals in the Netherlands. We included patients aged ≥ 70 years hospitalized with COVID-19 between February 2020 until May 2020. Atypical presentation of COVID-19 was defined as presentation without fever, cough and/or dyspnea. We collected data concerning symptoms on admission, demographics and frailty parameters [e.g., Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) and Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS)]. Outcome data included Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission, discharge destination and 30-day mortality. Results: We included 780 patients, 9.5% (n = 74) of those patients had an atypical presentation. Patients with an atypical presentation were older (80 years, IQR 76–86 years; versus 79 years, IQR 74–84, p = 0.044) and were more often classified as severely frail (CFS 6–9) compared to patients with a typical presentation (47.6% vs 28.7%, p = 0.004). Overall, there was no significant difference in 30-day mortality between the two groups in univariate analysis (32.4% vs 41.5%; p = 0.173) or in multivariate analysis [OR 0.59 (95% CI 0.34–1.0); p = 0.058]. Conclusions: In this study, patients with an atypical presentation of COVID-19 were more frail compared to patients with a typical presentation. Contrary to our expectations, an atypical presentation was not associated with worse outcomes.

Background as the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic progressed diagnostics and treatment changed. Objective to investigate differences in characteristics, disease presentation and outcomes of older hospitalised COVID-19 patients between the first and second pandemic wave in The Netherlands. Methods this was a multicentre retrospective cohort study in 16 hospitals in The Netherlands including patients aged ≥ 70 years, hospitalised for COVID-19 in Spring 2020 (first wave) and Autumn 2020 (second wave). Data included Charlson comorbidity index (CCI), disease severity and Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS). Main outcome was in-hospital mortality. Results a total of 1,376 patients in the first wave (median age 78 years, 60% male) and 946 patients in the second wave (median age 79 years, 61% male) were included. There was no relevant difference in presence of comorbidity (median CCI 2) or frailty (median CFS 4). Patients in the second wave were admitted earlier in the disease course (median 6 versus 7 symptomatic days; P Conclusions compared with older patients hospitalised in the first COVID-19 wave, patients in the second wave had lower in-hospital mortality, independent of risk factors for mortality. The better prognosis likely reflects earlier diagnosis, the effect of improvement in treatment and is relevant for future guidelines and treatment decisions.

Background During the first wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, older patients had an increased risk of hospitalisation and death. Reports on the association of frailty with poor outcome have been conflicting. Objective The aim of the present study was to investigate the independent association between frailty and in-hospital mortality in older hospitalised COVID-19 patients in the Netherlands. Methods This was a multicentre retrospective cohort study in 15 hospitals in the Netherlands, including all patients aged ≥70 years, who were hospitalised with clinically confirmed COVID-19 between February and May 2020. Data were collected on demographics, co-morbidity, disease severity and Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS). Primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Results A total of 1,376 patients were included (median age 78 years (interquartile range 74–84), 60% male). In total, 499 (38%) patients died during hospital admission. Parameters indicating presence of frailty (CFS 6–9) were associated with more co-morbidities, shorter symptom duration upon presentation (median 4 versus 7 days), lower oxygen demand and lower levels of C-reactive protein. In multivariable analyses, the CFS was independently associated with in-hospital mortality: compared with patients with CFS 1–3, patients with CFS 4–5 had a two times higher risk (odds ratio (OR) 2.0 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.3–3.0)) and patients with CFS 6–9 had a three times higher risk of in-hospital mortality (OR 2.8 (95% CI 1.8–4.3)). Conclusions The in-hospital mortality of older hospitalised COVID-19 patients in the Netherlands was 38%. Frailty was independently associated with higher in-hospital mortality, even though COVID-19 patients with frailty presented earlier to the hospital with less severe symptoms.

Robben SH, Perry M, Huisjes M, Van Nieuwenhuijzen L, Schers HJ, Van Weel C, Rikkert MG, Van Achterberg T, Heinen MM, Melis RJ. Het ZWIP, een digitale overlegtafel voor ouderen en hulpverleners. Huisarts Wet 2014;57(2):58-62. Ons huidige zorgstelsel is onvoldoende in staat om adequate zorg te bieden aan het toenemende aantal kwetsbare ouderen. Het geeft weinig ruimte voor zelfmanagement door ouderen en mantelzorgers, en de zorg is vaak gefragmenteerd over verschillende hulpverleners. Om zelfmanagement en samenwerking te verbeteren, is in de omgeving van Nijmegen het Zorg en WelzijnsInfoPortaal (ZWIP) van start gegaan, een persoonlijke, via internet toegankelijke overlegtafel voor kwetsbare ouderen, mantelzorgers en hulpverleners. Na de implementatie van het ZWIP evalueerden wij het gebruik van het portal gedurende het eerste jaar in zeven huisartsenpraktijken in Gelderland en Noord-Brabant. Als aanvulling op de kwantitatieve gegevens uit de implementatie legden wij alle deelnemende hulpverleners een vragenlijst voor en n amen wij een aantal van hen een semigestructureerd interview af. In de onderzochte praktijken hebben uiteindelijk 290 kwetsbare ouderen en 169 hulpverleners het ZWIP gebruikt in het eerste jaar na implementatie. Het succes van de implementatie varieerde per praktijk, maar over het algemeen waren de hulpverleners positief, vooral over het scholingsprogramma en de helpdesk. Factoren die deelname bevorderden, waren het gebruiksgemak en de wens van hulpverleners om de onderlinge samenwerking te verbeteren. Factoren die deelname belemmerden, waren de beperkte computervaardigheden van de ouderen en een gedeelde voorkeur voor persoonlijk contact. Per saldo kan de implementatie van het ZWIP een succes genoemd worden. De hulpverleners gaven aan dat het systeem ook voor andere groepen patienten waardevol kan zijn. In hoeverre ouderen en hulpverleners het ZWIP ook daadwerkelijk actief gebruiken, wordt nog onderzocht, maar de verwachting is dat het ZWIP belangrijk kan bijdragen aan het verminderen van de fragmentatie in de zorg.

Our fragmented health care systems are insufficiently equipped to provide frail older people with high quality of care. Therefore, we developed the Health and Welfare Information Portal (ZWIP), an e-health intervention which aims (1) to facilitate self-management by frail older people and informal caregivers and (2) to improve collaboration among professionals. The ZWIP is a personal conference table, accessible through a secure internet connection, for multidisciplinary communication and information exchange for frail older people, their informal caregivers and professionals. After development, the ZWIP was implemented in seven general practices, and this process was evaluated by means of a mixed-methods study. Eventually, 290 frail older people and 169 professionals participated in the ZWIP. Most professionals were positive about its implementation. Facilitators for the implementation were the experienced need for improvement of interprofessional collaboration and the user-friendliness of the ZWIP. Barriers were the low computer-literacy of frail older people, start-up problems, preferring personal contact, and limited use of the ZWIP by other professionals. In sum, this article describes the successful development and implementation of the ZWIP, an e-health intervention which can reduce fragmentation in the care of frail older people.

BackgroundPrimary care is increasingly interested in the identification of frailty, as it selects the target population for integrated care. However, instruments for the identification of frailty specifically validated for use in primary care are scarce. This study developed the Easycare Two-step Older persons Screening (Easycare-TOS), which provides a valid, efficient, and pragmatic screening procedure to identify frail older people.AimThis paper aims to describe the development of the Easycare-TOS and the data from the pilot studies.Design and settingObservational pilot study in seven academic GP practices in and around Nijmegen, The Netherlands.MethodThe Easycare-TOS was developed in a cyclic process with the input of stakeholders. In every cycle, the requirements were first defined, then translated into a prototype that was tested in a pilot study. The Easycare-TOS makes optimal use of prior knowledge of the GP, and the professionals' appraisal is decisive in the frailty decision, instead of a cut-off score. Further, it considers aspects of frailty, as well as aspects of the care context of the patient.ResultsThe pilot data have shown that after step 1, two-thirds of the patients do not need further assessment, because they are judged as not frail, based on prior knowledge of the GP. The overall prevalence of frailty in this pilot study is 24%. Most professionals who participated in the pilot studies considered the time investment acceptable and the method to be of added value.ConclusionThe Easycare-TOS instrument meets the predefined efficiency, flexibility, and acceptability requirements for use as an identification instrument for frailty in primary care.

Item does not contain fulltext INTRODUCTION: Care for the frail elderly is often provided by several professionals. Collaboration between them is essential, but remains difficult to achieve. Interprofessional education (IPE) can improve this collaboration. We developed a 9-hour IPE program for primary care professionals from 7 disciplines caring for the frail elderly, and aimed to establish whether the program improved professionals' interprofessional attitudes and attitudes toward collaboration, collaboration skills, and collaborative behavior. We also evaluated learners' reactions to the program. METHODS: Before-after study, using the Interprofessional Attitudes Questionnaire (IAQ, score:1 to 7); Attitudes Toward Health Care Teams Scale (ATHCTS, score: 0 to 105); and Team Skills Scale (TSS, score:17 to 85). Additionally, semistructured interviews were conducted with 10 selected participants. RESULTS: Participants' (N = 80) overall interprofessional attitudes improved (IAQ baseline: 5.49; follow-up: 5.67, p = 0.001); attitudes toward geriatric teams did not change (ATHCTS baseline: 69.9; follow-up: 69.1, p = 0.32). Participants' self-reported team skills improved (TSS baseline: 45.7; follow-up: 48.1, p = 0.001). In the interviews, many interviewees reported increased collaboration with professionals of other disciplines due to the program. Interviewees considered the program's interprofessional nature and attending the program with local professionals important contributing factors to the experienced improvements in collaboration. However, they also noted that not all parts of the program had met the needs of all participating disciplines, due to differences in professional background and knowledge. DISCUSSION: A brief IPE program can improve interprofessional attitudes, collaboration skills, and collaborative behavior. That such a program allows professionals to get acquainted with each other and each other's viewpoints appears to be as important as the educational content.

Contains fulltext : 97861.pdf (author's version ) (Open Access) BACKGROUND: Although it is widely recognised that frail older persons need adaptation of healthcare services, it is unclear how hospital care in general can best be tailored to their frailty. OBJECTIVE: To systematically review the evidence for hospital-wide interventions for older patients. METHODS: PubMed, Cochrane CENTRAL, Cinahl and reference lists of included articles (1980-2009) were searched. Papers describing (1) randomised controlled trials, controlled clinical trials, controlled before-after studies or interrupted time series, (2) patients >/= 65 years admitted to hospital, (3) hospital-wide organisational interventions, and (4) patient-related outcomes, quality of care, patient safety, resource use or costs were included. Two reviewers extracted data and assessed risk of bias independently, according to Cochrane Effective Practice and Organization of Care Review Group guidelines. RESULTS: The authors included 20 articles out of 1175. The mean age of the study populations ranged from 74.2 to 85.8 years. Interventions included multidisciplinary (consultative) teams, nursing care models, structural changes in physical environment and/or changes in site of service delivery. Small or no effects were found on patient-related outcomes such as functional performance, length of stay, discharge destination, resource use and costs compared with usual care. Methodological quality evaluation showed data incompleteness and contamination as main sources of bias. CONCLUSIONS: No single best hospital-wide intervention could be identified using strict methodological criteria. However, several interventions had positive results, and may be used in hospital practice. Since strict methodological designs are not optimal for evaluating highly complex interventions and settings, the authors recommend studying hospital-wide interventions for older persons using adapted quality and research criteria.

Contains fulltext : 155291.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) BACKGROUND: Although frail older people can be more reluctant to become involved in clinical decision making, they do want professionals to take their concerns and wishes into account. Discussing goals can help professionals to achieve this. OBJECTIVE: To describe the development of a two-step method for discussing goals with frail older people in primary care and professionals' first experiences with it. METHODS: The method consisted of (i) an open-ended question: If there is one thing we can do for you to improve your situation, what would you like? if necessary, followed by (ii) a bubble diagram with goal subject categories. We reviewed the goals elaborated with the method and surveyed professionals' (primary care nurses and social workers) experiences, using questions concerning time investment, reasons for not formulating goals, and perceived value of the method. RESULTS: One hundred and thirty-seven community-dwelling frail older people described 173 goals. These most frequently concerned mobility (n = 43; 24.9%), well-being (n = 52; 30.1%) and social context (n = 57; 32.9%). Professionals (n = 18) were generally positive about the method, as it improved their knowledge about what the frail older person valued. Not all frail older people formulated goals; reasons for this included being perfectly comfortable, not being used to discussing goals or cognitive problems limiting their ability to formulate goals. CONCLUSIONS: This two-step method for discussing goals can assist professionals in gaining insight into what a frail older person values. This can guide professionals and frail older people in choosing the most appropriate treatment option, thus increasing frail older people's involvement in decision making.

Contains fulltext : 137965.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) BACKGROUND: Older people suffering from frailty often receive fragmented chronic care from multiple professionals. According to the literature, there is an urgent need for coordination of care. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of an online health community (OHC) intervention for older people with frailty aimed at facilitating multidisciplinary communication. METHODS: The design was a controlled before-after study with 12 months follow-up in 11 family practices in the eastern part of the Netherlands. Participants consisted of frail older people living in the community requiring multidisciplinary (long-term) care. The intervention used was the health and welfare portal (ZWIP): an OHC for frail elderly patients, their informal caregivers and professionals. ZWIP contains a secure messaging system supplemented by a shared electronic health record. Primary outcomes were scores on the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living scale (IADL), mental health, and social activity limitations. RESULTS: There were 290 patients in the intervention group and 392 in the control group. Of these, 76/290 (26.2%) in the intervention group actively used ZWIP. After 12 months follow-up, we observed no significant improvement on primary patient outcomes. ADL improved in the intervention group with a standardized score of 0.21 (P=.27); IADL improved with 0.50 points, P=.64. CONCLUSIONS: Only a small percentage of frail elderly people in the study intensively used ZWIP, our newly developed and innovative eHealth tool. The use of this OHC did not significantly improve patient outcomes. This was most likely due to the limited use of the OHC, and a relatively short follow-up time. Increasing actual use of eHealth intervention seems a precondition for large-scale evaluation, and earlier adoption before frailty develops may improve later use and effectiveness of ZWIP.

Contains fulltext : 137319.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) BACKGROUND: Frail older people often receive fragmented care from multiple providers. According to the literature, there is an urgent need for coordination of care. Online and eHealth tools are increasingly used to improve coordination. However, there are significant barriers to their implementation in frail older people. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to (1) evaluate differences in use of a personal online health community (POHC) for frail older people in relation to personal characteristics, and (2) explore barriers and facilitators for use as experienced by older people and their informal caregivers, using the case of the Health and Welfare Information Portal (ZWIP). METHODS: This is a mixed methods study. For the quantitative analysis, we used POHC usage information (2 years follow-up) and baseline characteristics of frail older people. For the qualitative analysis, we used semistructured interviews with older people and their informal caregivers. Participants were recruited from 11 family practices in the east of the Netherlands and frail older people over 70 years. The ZWIP intervention is a personal online health community for frail older people, their informal caregivers, and their providers. ZWIP was developed at the Geriatrics Department of Radboud University Medical Center. We collected data on POHC use for 2 years as well as relevant patient characteristics. Interview topics were description of use, reasons for use and non-use, and user profiles. RESULTS: Of 622 frail patients in the intervention group, 290 were connected to ZWIP; 79 used ZWIP regularly (at least monthly). Main predictors for use were having an informal caregiver, having problems with activities of daily living, and having a large number of providers. Family practice level predictors were being located in a village, and whether the family practitioners had previously used electronic consultation and cared for a large percentage of frail older people. From 23 interviews, main reasons for use were perceiving ZWIP to be a good, quick, and easy way of communicating with providers and the presence of active health problems. Important reasons for non-use were lack of computer skills and preferring traditional means of consultation. CONCLUSIONS: Only 27.2% (79/290) of frail older enrolled in the POHC intervention used the POHC frequently. For implementation of personal online health communities, older people with active health problems and a sizable number of health care providers should be targeted, and the informal caregiver, if present, should be involved in the implementation process. TRIAL REGISTRATION: International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN): 11165483; http://www.controlled-trials.com/isrctn/pf/11165483 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6U3fZovoU).

BACKGROUND: A number of studies have examined the effects of home visits and showed inconsistent results on physical functioning, institutionalisation, and mortality. Despite continuing interest from professionals in home visits for older people, reports on older people's needs and preferences for such visits are scarce.AIM: This qualitative study aims to explore the views and needs of community-dwelling frail older people concerning home visits.DESIGN AND SETTING: A qualitative study including interviews with frail older persons and their informal caregivers living in the area of Nijmegen, the Netherlands.METHOD: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with frail older people and informal caregivers. A grounded theory approach was used for data-analysis.RESULTS: Eleven frail older people and 11 informal caregivers were included. Most participants emphasised the importance of home visits for frail older people. They felt that it would give older people the personal attention they used to receive from GPs but miss nowadays. Most stated that this would give them more trust in GPs. Participants stated that trust is one of the most important factors in a good patient-professional relationship. Further, participants preferred home visits to focus on the psychosocial context of the patient. They stated that more knowledge of the psychosocial context and a good patient-professional relationship would enable the professional to provide better and more patient-centred care.CONCLUSION: Patients' expectations of home visits are quite different from the actual purpose of home visiting programmes; that is, care and wellbeing versus cure and prevention. This difference may partly explain why the effectiveness of home visits remains controversial. Future studies on home visits should involve patients in the development of home visiting programmes.

Item does not contain fulltext Background Patient involvement in clinical decision making is increasingly advocated. Although older patients may be more reluctant to become involved, most do appreciate being informed. However, knowledge about their experiences with and preferences for receiving information is limited, and even less is known about these topics for frail older people. Objective To explore the experiences of frail older people and informal caregivers with receiving information from health care professionals as well as their preferences for receiving information. Methods We conducted semi-structured interviews with frail older people (n = 11, 65-90 years) and informal caregivers (n = 11, 55-87 years). Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using a grounded theory approach. Results Frail older people and informal caregivers varied in their information needs and discussed both positive and negative experiences with receiving information. They preferred receiving verbal information from their physician during the consultation; yet would appreciate receiving brief, clearly written information leaflets in addition. They employed several strategies to enhance the information provided, i.e. advocacy, preparing for a consultation and searching their own information. Contextual factors for receiving information, such as having enough time and having a good relationship with professionals involved, were considered of great importance. Conclusions Participants described a wide range of experiences with and preferences for receiving information. However, even if the information provided would meet all their preferences, this would be of limited significance if not provided within the context of an ongoing trusting relationship with a professional, such as a GP or practice nurse, who genuinely cared for them.

Contains fulltext : 108253.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Due to fragmentation of care, continuity of care is often limited in the care provided to frail older people. Further, frail older people are not always enabled to become involved in their own care. Therefore, we developed the Health and Welfare Information Portal (ZWIP), a shared Electronic Health Record combined with a communication tool for community-dwelling frail older people and primary care professionals. This article describes the process evaluation of its implementation, and aims to establish (1) the outcomes of the implementation process, (2) which implementation strategies and barriers and facilitators contributed to these outcomes, and (3) how its future implementation could be improved. METHODS: Mixed methods study, consisting of (1) a survey among professionals (n = 118) and monitoring the use of the ZWIP by frail older people and professionals, followed by (2) semi-structured interviews with purposively selected professionals (n = 12). RESULTS: 290 frail older people and 169 professionals participated in the ZWIP. At the end of the implementation period, 55% of frail older people and informal caregivers, and 84% of professionals had logged on to their ZWIP at least once. For professionals, the exposure to the implementation strategies was generally as planned, they considered the interprofessional educational program and the helpdesk very important strategies. However, frail older people's exposure to the implementation strategies was less than intended. Facilitators for the ZWIP were the perceived need to enhance interprofessional collaboration and the ZWIP application being user-friendly. Barriers included the low computer-literacy of frail older people, a preference for personal communication and limited use of the ZWIP by other professionals and frail older people. Interviewees recommended using the ZWIP for other target populations as well and adding further strategies that may help frail older people to feel more comfortable with computers and the ZWIP. CONCLUSIONS: This study describes the implementation process of an innovative e-health intervention for community-dwelling frail older people, informal caregivers and primary care professionals. As e-health is an important medium for overcoming fragmentation of healthcare and facilitating patient involvement, but its adoption in everyday practice remains a challenge, the positive results of this implementation are promising.

Contains fulltext : 89744.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access) OBJECTIVE: To pilot a three-step diagnostic model for young and old patients with Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD). METHODS: Prospective investigator-blinded study. We developed a screening questionnaire for patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and their caregivers. Further, patients were subjected to three screening instruments (Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB), Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination-revised (ACE-R) and a detailed neuropsychological examination (NPE). Based on the NPE, patients were divided in a PD (without dementia) and a PDD-group. RESULTS: Forty-one PD patients, aged 37-94 years, participated in this study. Patients were divided in a young group, < or = 65 (n = 22) and an old group >65 years (n = 19). In the young group (PDD, n = 5) the patient-screening questionnaire predicted PDD with a sensitivity/specificity of 100.0%/94.1%; in the old group (PDD, n = 10) the proxy-screening questionnaire predicted PDD with a sensitivity/specificity of 88.9%/66.7%. In the young group, ACE-R had the largest Area Under the Curve (AUC) 0.88 (0.70-1.00), in the old group MoCA (AUC 1.00). However, the three instruments did not differ significantly. CONCLUSIONS: It seems feasible and efficient to use three consecutive diagnostic steps for PDD: (1) a screening questionnaire, (2) if positive: MoCA, FAB or ACE-R as screening instrument and (3) if positive: a detailed NPE for diagnosing PDD. 01 maart 2010