An interventional study of Community Hospital and Usual Care in Chronic Disease, Transition Care and Hospital Readmission, sponsored by University of Rome Tor Vergata. Completed at 1 site in Italy. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-11-06.
Sponsored by University of Rome Tor Vergata · Not applicable, Interventional, and Health services research
This study aims to find out whether nurse-led transitional care can help older adults with chronic health conditions recover safely after leaving the hospital. It also examines whether this approach can lower the risk of returning to the hospital within 30 days.
The study includes 652 adults aged 60 years or older with at least one long-term health condition. All participants were receiving care in medical wards at an Italian university hospital and were preparing to return home.
Participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups:
Nurse-led transitional care: Participants received additional care in a nurse-led unit before returning home. Nurses assessed their health and daily needs, provided personalized care and education, and helped plan a safe return home. This approach followed the Fundamentals of Care Framework, which focuses on meeting people's physical, emotional, and social care needs.
Usual care: Participants received standard hospital care and returned directly home after discharge, without the additional nurse-led transitional care program.
Researchers assessed participants' ability to perform daily activities, memory and thinking skills, risk of falls, and risk of developing pressure injuries (skin damage caused by prolonged pressure). They also checked whether participants returned to the hospital unexpectedly within 30 days.
By comparing the two groups, the study aims to understand whether additional nurse-led care can support recovery, improve independence, and help older adults remain safely at home after hospitalization.
781 studies on the registry are indexed under Chronic Disease; 144 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 652 is above the median of 140 across 582 interventional studies indexed under Chronic Disease.
Browse Chronic Disease studies →University of Rome Tor Vergata is the lead sponsor of 96 studies on the registry; 20 are open to participants now.
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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.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: long-term lung disease that makes it hard to breathe out, including emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
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.
COPD
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: long-term lung disease that makes it hard to breathe out, including emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
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.
Participants assigned to this group received nurse-led transitional care in a Community Hospital before returning home. The intervention was based on the Fundamentals of Care Framework and included comprehensive nursing assessment, individualized care planning, daily clinical monitoring, patient education, and coordinated discharge planning. Nurses supported participants' physical, emotional, and social care needs, promoted self-care skills, and coordinated care with community health services. The maximum length of stay was 14 days, followed by a 30-day follow-up after discharge.
Other: Community Hospital
Participants assigned to this group received usual care in acute medical wards and were discharged directly home after clinical stabilization. They received standard discharge instructions and routine care, without transfer to a Community Hospital or participation in the structured nurse-led transitional care program. Community health services were provided when indicated according to usual clinical practice. Participants were followed up 30 days after discharge.
Other: Usual Care
The intervention was based on the Fundamentals of Care Framework and included comprehensive nursing assessment, individualized care planning, daily clinical monitoring, patient education, and coordinated discharge planning. Nurses supported participants' physical, emotional, and social care needs, promoted self-care skills, and coordinated care with community health services. The maximum length of stay was 14 days, followed by a 30-day follow-up after discharge.
Participants received standard hospital care and returned directly home after discharge, without the additional nurse-led transitional care program.
Unplanned Hospital Readmission Within 30 Days
The proportion of participants experiencing at least one unplanned hospital readmission within 30 days after final hospital discharge. Readmissions to any hospital in the Lazio region were identified using regional administrative hospital databases. The outcome was compared between the nurse-led transitional care group and the usual care group.
Time frame: Within 30 days after final hospital discharge
Change in Functional Independence Assessed by the Barthel Index
Functional independence was assessed using the Barthel Index, which measures the ability to perform 10 basic activities of daily living, including feeding, bathing, dressing, mobility, and personal hygiene. Total scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater independence. Changes from baseline were compared between the two study groups.
Time frame: Baseline and 30 days after final hospital discharge.
Change in Pressure Injury Risk Assessed by the Braden Scale
The risk of developing pressure injuries was assessed using the Braden Scale, which evaluates six areas: sensory perception, skin moisture, physical activity, mobility, nutrition, and friction or shear. Total scores range from 6 to 23, with lower scores indicating a higher risk of pressure injuries. Changes from baseline were compared between the two study groups.
Time frame: Baseline and 30 days after final hospital discharge.
Change in Cognitive Status Assessed by the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire
Cognitive status was assessed using the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire (SPMSQ), a 10-item instrument evaluating orientation, memory, and basic cognitive functioning. According to the scoring system used in this study, total scores range from 0 to 11, with higher scores indicating better cognitive functioning. Changes from baseline were compared between the two study groups.
Time frame: Baseline and 30 days after final hospital discharge.
Change in Fall Risk Assessed by the Modified Morse Fall Scale
Fall risk was assessed using a modified version of the Morse Fall Scale consisting of six dichotomous items. Total scores range from 0 to 6, with higher scores indicating greater fall risk. Scores of 0-2 indicate low risk, 3-4 moderate risk, and 5-6 high risk. Changes from baseline were compared between the two study groups.
Time frame: Baseline and 30 days after final hospital discharge.
Plan to share: Yes — De-identified individual participant data underlying the results reported in this study may be made available to qualified researchers upon reasonable request to the corresponding author. Data sharing will be subject to approval of the research team and compliance with applicable ethical and data protection requirements. No directly identifiable participant information will be shared.
Supporting information: Study protocol
Time frame: Beginning 6 months after publication of the study results and ending 5 years after publication
Access criteria: De-identified individual participant data and supporting study documents may be made available to qualified researchers who submit a reasonable request to the corresponding author. Requests must include a research proposal describing the scientific objectives, planned analyses, and intended use of the data. Access will be subject to approval by the research team and compliance with applicable ethical and data protection requirements. Approved researchers will receive access to the data necessary for their proposed analyses through a secure data-sharing process. Data will not be made publicly available.
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
This study is completed, as verified in Nov 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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University of Rome Tor Vergata