Vitality with and for Older frail People through person-centred e-support (VOPe)

The purpose of the project is to contribute to knowledge on how frail older people´s capabilities and societal resources can be used in a more efficient way to promote health and reduce hospitalisations.

The aim is to evaluate partnership between community-dwelling frail older people and their health and social care professionals and informal carers by a person-centred e-support intervention. The design includes a randomised controlled trial, a process and an economic evaluation.

People 75-years or older screened as frail at an emergency department and discharged directly to their home will be included.

An individually tailored digital platform, co-created with users will help the old person to formulate a health-plan, communicate with health and social care professionals and give access to validated informative links about their specific disabilities and also “benefit and pleasure” links. The primary composite endpoint is changes in general self-efficacy and hospitalization.

A minimum of 220 participants will be included during 2021 and 2022, 2023 the intervention will be performed and 2024 and 2025 analyses will be made and reports written.

The results of the study, if proved effective, will reduce hospitalisations for frail older people and improve or retain self-efficacy whilst being cost-effective. It will also enhance their opportunities to participate as equal partners in contacts with health and social care.