Pre-hospital care for older adults
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Pre-hospital care for older adults: a mixed methods evaluation
IRAS ID
370638
Contact name
Simon Conroy
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Queen Mary University of London
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 1 months, 4 days
Research summary
The research project evaluates the Remote Emergency Access Coordination Hub (REACH), a healthcare service designed to provide better emergency care for older adults by shifting treatment from hospitals into the local community. Many older people are currently taken to the hospital by ambulance even when their medical needs could be met more comfortably at home, so REACH connects paramedics at the scene with specialist hospital doctors over the phone to provide expert advice and decision-making support. By helping paramedics access community services like "virtual wards", the goal is to ensure that older patients receive the right care in the right place while avoiding unnecessary and often stressful hospital admissions. To evaluate how well this service is working, the study team will conduct interviews and focus groups with professionals and patient and carer participants:
Total number of participants for n=87
Interviews & focus groups:
Emergency Physicians n=10
Frontline paramedics n=20
Community health and care professionals n=20
Interviews:
Older adults and family carers n=20-30
Case studies:n= 5-7 patients
Additionally, the team will develop detailed case studies for a small number of patients by looking at their entire care journey from the initial emergency call through to recovery, using data from interviews, medical records, and recorded telephone calls between paramedics and doctors. This study aims to understand what works well, identify implementation challenges, and discover what outcomes matter most to older people and their families during a medical crisis. Ultimately, the findings will provide vital evidence to improve the REACH service and help other areas across the country set up similar schemes, ensuring that healthcare systems are better prepared to support the growing population of older adults in their own homes.
REC name
North West - Greater Manchester South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
26/NW/0195
Date of REC Opinion
15 Jul 2026
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion