An observational study in Nursing Home Care and Hospitalisation Prevention, sponsored by Universität des Saarlandes. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in Germany. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-06-10.
Sponsored by Universität des Saarlandes · Observational
This prospective observational before-after study evaluates the impact of a Mobile Geriatric Unit (MGU) on hospitalisation rates among nursing home residents. The study includes a 12-month control phase with usual care followed by a 12-month intervention phase during which the MGU is implemented. The MGU provides advanced on-site diagnostics and telemedicine-supported specialist consultation within nursing homes.
This prospective observational before-after study evaluates the impact of a Mobile Geriatric Unit (MGU) on hospitalisation rates among nursing home residents in Saarland, Germany. The study includes a 12-month control phase with usual care followed by a 12-month intervention phase with MGU implementation in 46 nursing homes.
The MGU provides on-site advanced diagnostics (CT, X-ray, ultrasound, ECG, EEG, and laboratory testing) supported by telemedicine consultation with hospital specialists. A physician and radiology technician perform diagnostics in the nursing home, with results communicated to the general practitioner for treatment decisions within 48 hours.
Usual care involves hospital referral and in-hospital diagnostics. The intervention aims to reduce avoidable hospital admissions by providing diagnostics and specialist input directly in the nursing home.
The primary outcome is hospital admissions per person-year. Secondary outcomes include mortality, functional and cognitive status, quality of life (EQ-5D-5L), complications, healthcare costs, and 30-day hospitalisation-free survival.
Eligible participants are nursing home residents with consent or proxy consent; those requiring immediate hospitalisation are excluded.
Data are obtained from routine care and medical records, MGU documentation, structured assessments, and follow-up. Multilevel Poisson regression and interrupted time series analysis will be used.
The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Saarland (AZ 159-21) and conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki.
Universität des Saarlandes is the lead sponsor of 68 studies on the registry; 17 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Residents of participating nursing homes
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Usual care including general practitioner (GP) referral, hospital transport, and in-hospital diagnostics and treatment.
On-site diagnostic evaluation using the Mobile Geriatric Unit with broad diagnostic capabilities followed by teleconsultation and further treatment by the general practitioner.
Other: Mobile Geriatric Unit (MGU)
The MGU is a mobile diagnostic unit providing on-site diagnostics in nursing homes. It includes a 32-slice (64 slice reconstruction) whole body CT scanner, digital X-ray, portable ultrasound, ECG, EEG, and point-of-care laboratory diagnostics. A physician and radiology technician perform diagnostics on-site. Results are transmitted via telemedicine to hospital specialists and communicated to the general practitioner for treatment decisions within 48 hours.
Hospital admissions per person-year
Number of inpatient hospital admissions, excluding elective admissions.
Time frame: Up to 24 months
Mortality
Mortality
Time frame: Day 180
Functional status; mobility: modified Rankin Scale (mRS)
Modified Rankin Scale (mRS): 0: No symptoms 1. No significant disability 2. Slight disability 3. Moderate disability 4. Moderately severe disability 5. Severe disability 6. Death Minimum value: 0 (best outcome) Maximum value: 6 (worst outcome)
Time frame: Day 180
Functional status; frailty: Clinical Frailty Scale
Clinical Frailty Scale (as according to Moorhouse and Rockwood\*): 1. very fit 2. well 3. managing well 4. apparently vulnerable 5. mildly frail 6. moderately frail 7. severely frail 8. very severely frail 9. terminally ill Minimum value: 1 (best outcome) Maximum value: 9 (worst outcome) \* Moorhouse P, Rockwood K. Frailty and its quantitative clinical evaluation. J R Coll Physicians Edinb 2012; 42: 333-40
Time frame: Day 180
Cognitive status
The cognitive performance assessment is carried out through subjective evaluation by the nursing home's nursing staff at day 180.
Time frame: Day 180
Quality of life (EQ-5D-5L)
EQ-5D-5L is a standardised measure of health-related quality of life developed by the EuroQol Group and assesses health status in terms of five dimensions of health. The five levels in each dimension are worded as (1) 'not /no problems', (2) 'slight problems', (3) 'moderate problems', (4) 'severe problems' and (5) 'unable to' (mobility, self-care, usual activities), 'extreme' (pain/depression), or 'extremely' (anxiety/depression). Minimum value: 1 (best outcome) Maximum value: 5 (worst outcome)
Time frame: Day 180
Healthcare costs
Hospitalisation, transport, and MGU costs
Time frame: Day 360
30-day hospitalisation-free survival
Hospitalisation-free survival at day 30
Time frame: Day 30
This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in Apr 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Universität des Saarlandes