An interventional study of structured teleconsultation and face to face consultation and face to face consultation in Prefrail Elderly and Frail Elderly, sponsored by Indonesia University. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in Indonesia. Open to participants aged 60 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-07-22.
Sponsored by Indonesia University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a structured tele-consultation program, delivered 3 times over 12 weeks, can improve (reverse) frailty in geriatric patients recently discharged from the hospital. The main questions it aims to answer are:
Researchers will compare participants receiving structured tele-consultation (delivered 3 times over 12 weeks) to participants receiving usual care to see if tele-consultation leads to greater improvement in health behavior and frailty status.
Participants will:
Frailty is common among older adults following hospitalization and is associated with increased risk of readmission, functional decline, and mortality. Telemedicine has been proposed to support frailty management, but prior studies have used varied formats and shown inconsistent results, and no prior study has evaluated structured tele-consultation targeting physical exercise, nutrition, and home care education as a means of reversing frailty in older adults after hospital discharge, using both a validated frailty score and biological markers as outcomes.
This study is a randomized controlled trial conducted among older adults admitted to the acute geriatric ward who are deemed fit for discharge. Eligible patients are enrolled after providing informed consent, and baseline data (frailty scores, biological markers, hand grip strength) are collected prior to discharge. Participants are randomly allocated to an intervention group or a control group. Both groups receive standard discharge planning and follow-up at the geriatric outpatient clinic over a 12-week period after discharge. In addition to standard follow-up, participants in the intervention group receive structured tele-consultation sessions addressing physical exercise, nutrition, and home care education, delivered by a trained physician, dietitian, and physiotherapist. Outcome assessments are performed at baseline and at the end of the follow-up period by an assessor unaware of participants' group allocation.
Participants who are readmitted to hospital during the study period are withdrawn from the study. All collected data are kept confidential and used only for research purposes. Data from participants who withdraw or are lost to follow-up are retained and analyzed using an intention-to-treat approach.
Exclusion Criteria:
Participants received standard discharge planning and standard face-to-face outpatient visits (consultation) at weeks 1, 5, 9, 13 post-discharge, plus structured teleconsultation (via Zoom, up to 60 minutes) conducted by a trained general practitioner, dietitian, and physiotherapist at weeks 3, 7, 11, post-discharge.
Behavioral: structured teleconsultation and face to face consultation
Participants received standard discharge planning and standard face-to-face outpatient visits (consultation) only, at weeks 1, 5, 9, 13 post-discharge, without additional teleconsultation.
Behavioral: face to face consultation
A structured teleconsultation delivered via videoconference (Zoom), up to 60 minutes per session, provided by a trained general practitioner, dietitian, and physiotherapist. Sessions were conducted with the patient and a consistent family member/caregiver at weeks 3, 7, 11 post-discharge, in addition to standard discharge planning and routine face-to-face outpatient visits at weeks 1, 5, 9, 13.
Routine face-to-face outpatient visits to the geriatric clinic at weeks 1, 5, 9, 13, post-discharge, without additional telehealth consultation.
Change in Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) Score
Frailty reversibility assessed as the change in Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) score from baseline (pre-intervention, at hospital discharge) to post-intervention, following structured telehealth consultation based on physical exercise, nutrition, and home care education aimed at health behavior change. The Clinical Frailty Scale is a 9-point clinical assessment tool used to evaluate frailty status in older adults. Scores range from 1 to 9, where 1 indicates very fit, 2 indicates Fit, 3 indicates Managing Well, 4 indicates Living with Very Mild Frailty, 5 indicates Living with Mild Frailty, 6 indicates Living with Moderate Frailty, 7 indicates Living with Severe Frailty, 8 indicates Living with Very Severe Frailty, and 9 indicates terminally ill. Higher scores indicate greater frailty and therefore a worse clinical outcome.
Time frame: Baseline (at hospital discharge) and Week 13 post-discharge
Change in Health Behavior
Change in health-related behaviors (physical exercise, nutrition, and medication adherence) following structured teleconsultation, assessed using a study-specific Health Behavior Questionnaire. The questionnaire consists of 5 items, each scored on a 5-point Likert scale (1-5), with a total score ranging from 5 to 25. Higher scores indicate better health-related health behaviors.
Time frame: Baseline and Week 13 post-discharge
Change in Serum Albumin Level
Change in serum albumin level as a nutritional biomarker associated with frailty reversibility, following structured telehealth consultation.
Time frame: Baseline and Week 13 post-discharge
Change in Serum Myostatin Level
Change in serum myostatin level as a biomarker of muscle wasting associated with frailty reversibility, following structured telehealth consultation.
Time frame: Baseline and Week 13 post-discharge
Change in Hand Grip Strength
Change in hand grip strength, measured using a dynamometer, as an indicator of physical frailty component, following structured telehealth consultation.
Time frame: Baseline and Week 13 post-discharge
Change in IL-6
Change in IL-6 following structured telehealth consultation.
Time frame: Baseline and Week 13 post-discharge
Plan to share: No
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This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in Jul 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Indonesia University