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 endpoint is a composite of changes in general self-efficacy and a need for hospitalization.

A minimum of 220 participants will be needed for a sufficiently powered study, 138 participants have been included during 2021 and 2022 and during 2023 and 2024 another 82 patients will be included. During 2025 and 2026 follow-up and 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.