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Development and Feasibility of CTraC-FIT
Sponsor: VA Office of Research and Development
Summary
Functional decline after hospitalization is a serious concern for older Veterans, often leading to loss of independence and disability. VA's nurse-led Coordinated Transitional Care (CTraC) program has demonstrated success in improving care transitions, but currently lacks targeted assessment and intervention to support Veterans' functional recovery. This project aims to develop and test a function-focused CTraC protocol (CTraC-FIT) to address this critical gap and optimize functional outcomes for Veterans transitioning from hospital to home. By integrating evidence-based functional assessment and intervention strategies into the CTraC protocol, this project aims to empower Veterans to regain and maintain their independence and improve their quality of life.
Official title: Development and Feasibility of a Function-focused Transitional Care Intervention to Support Functional Recovery in Older Veterans
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
65 Years - Any
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
40
Start Date
2026-07-01
Completion Date
2030-12-31
Last Updated
2026-01-26
Healthy Volunteers
No
Interventions
CTraC-FIT
The intervention is designed to support Veterans at high risk of readmission with comprehensive transitional care that includes: Structured Follow-Ups: Regularly scheduled follow-up calls to monitor the patient's progress, address any issues, and provide ongoing support. Health Coaching: Personalized coaching to help Veterans manage their health conditions, adhere to treatment plans, and make lifestyle changes that can improve their overall health. Care Coordination: Assistance with navigating the healthcare system, facilitating appointments, and ensuring that the Veteran receives all necessary post-discharge services. The intervention arm aims to improve functional abilities and reduce hospital readmissions by providing tailored support based on the unique needs of each participant. The CTraC NCM will follow a standardized protocol to ensure consistent and effective delivery of the intervention across all participants in this group.
Enhanced Usual Care
The Enhanced Usual Care (EUC) arm involves participants receiving the standard care provided by their assigned Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System (VABHS) inpatient and outpatient teams. This includes routine medical evaluations, treatments, and follow-up appointments as typically recommended by their healthcare providers. In addition to receiving standard care, participants in the EUC group will undergo baseline, endpoint, and 3-month follow-up assessments as part of the study protocol. For participants with intermediate functional ability (SPPB score of 7-9), no additional intervention will be provided after randomization to the control group. However, for participants with low functional ability (SPPB score of 0-6), a safety protocol will be activated to notify their assigned inpatient medical team (e.g., hospitalist, social worker) about the participant's risk of functional decline, ensuring that appropriate support and referrals are provided if needed.
Locations (1)
VA Boston Healthcare System Jamaica Plain Campus, Jamaica Plain, MA
Boston, Massachusetts, United States