title: The Community In-Reach and Care Transition (CIRACT) clinical and cost-effectiveness study: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Older people represent a significant proportion of patients admitted to hospital. Their care compared to younger patients is more challenging, length of stay is longer, risk of hospital-acquired problems higher and the risk of being re-admitted within 28 days greater. This study aims to compare a Community In-Reach and Care Transition (CIRACT) service with Traditional Hospital Based rehabilitation (THB-Rehab) provided to the older person. The CIRACT service differs from the THB-rehab service in that they are able to provide more intensive hospital rehabilitation, visiting patients daily, and are able to continue with the patient's rehabilitation following discharge allowing a seamless, integrated discharge working alongside community providers. A pilot comparing the two services showed that the CIRACT service demonstrated reduced length of stay and reduced re-admission rates when analysed over a four-month period.
  
  
  METHODS
  This trial will evaluate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of the CIRACT service, conducted as a randomised controlled trial (RCT) with an integral qualitative mechanism and action study designed to provide the explanatory and theoretical components on how the CIRACT service compares to current practice. The RCT element consists of 240 patients over 70 years of age, being randomised to either the THB therapy group or the CIRACT service following an unplanned hospital admission. The primary outcome will be hospital length of stay from admission to discharge from the general medical elderly care ward. Additional outcome measures including the Barthel Index, Charlson Co-morbidity Scale, EuroQoL-5D and the modified Client Service Receipt Inventory will be assessed at the time of recruitment and repeated at 91 days post-discharge. The qualitative mechanism and action study will involve a systematic programme of organisational profiling, observations of work processes, interviews with key informants and care providers and tracking of participants. In addition, a within-trial economic evaluation will be undertaken comparing the CIRACT and THB-rehab services to determine cost-effectiveness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The outcome of the study will inform clinical decision-making, with respect to allocation of resources linked to hospital discharge planning and re-admissions, in a resource intensive and growing group of patients.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Registered with the ISRCTN registry ( ISCRCTN94393315 ) on 25 April 2013 (version 3.1, 11 September 2014).
authors.affiliation: Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham University Hospitals, Derby Road, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, England. Alison.watson@nuh.nhs.uk.
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Watson
authors.affiliation: Nottingham Clinical Trials Unit|, University of Nottingham, Queens Medical Centre, Derby Road, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, England. lisa.charlesworth@manchester.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Charlesworth
authors.affiliation: Health Sciences, University of Warwick, University Road, Coventry, CV4 7AL, England. R.Jacob@warwick.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jacob
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Queens Medical Centre, Derby Road, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, England. denise.kendrick@nottingham.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kendrick
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Queens Medical Centre, Derby Road, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, England. pip.logan@nottingham.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Philippa
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Logan
authors.affiliation: Nottingham University Business School, Jubilee Campus, Nottingham, NG8 1BB, England. fiona.marshall@nottingham.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Fiona
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Queens Medical Centre, Derby Road, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, England. alan.montgomery@nottingham.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Montgomery
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Health Policy and Practice, Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, England. T.Sach@uea.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Tracey
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sach
authors.affiliation: Nottingham Clinical Trials Unit|, University of Nottingham, Queens Medical Centre, Derby Road, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, England. wei.tan@nottingham.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: Nottingham City Care Partnership, 1 Standard Court, Park Row, Nottingham, NG1 6GN, England. maria.walker@nottinghamcity.nhs.uk.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.affiliation: Nottingham University Business School, Jubilee Campus, Nottingham, NG8 1BB, England. Justin.waring@nottingham.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Justin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Waring
authors.affiliation: Nottingham Clinical Trials Unit|, University of Nottingham, Queens Medical Centre, Derby Road, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, England. diane.whitham@nottingham.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Whitham
authors.affiliation: Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham University Hospitals, Derby Road, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, England. Opinder.sahota@nuh.nhs.uk.
authors.forename: Opinder
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sahota
mesh_terms: D002985:Clinical Protocols; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D010359:Patient Readmission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012046:Rehabilitation