The Silver Clinic V1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Testing the feasibility and acceptability of case-finding and subsequent comprehensive geriatric assessment intervention for older people with HIV
IRAS ID
300599
Contact name
Jaime Vera
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Sussex
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 6 months, 27 days
Research summary
What is the problem?
People with HIV are living longer thanks to effective HIV care. However, many experience age-related health problems. These include frailty, weakness, and falls. Whilst common problems for older people, for people with HIV, they are happening at younger ages.
Why do we need to do something about it?
People with HIV have ageing related problems as young as 50. Experts in elderly care are specialists in managing these problems. However, people with HIV may not be able to see these specialists as they are too young. Therefore, they may not receive the care that they need. Currently, older people with HIV are cared for by HIV experts and GPs. However, we do not know which is better: care from HIV experts with GPs, or with elderly care experts?
What now?
Experts in elderly care use a Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA). This is an assessment of a person’s physical, emotional and social needs. A plan is then put in place to help them to get on better day- to-day. It helps them to remain independent and aims to stop them having to go into hospital, unless they really need to. This approach is helpful for older people living with many long-term conditions. However, it has not been tested for older people with HIV.
This is a ‘feasibility trial’, recruiting 84 older people with HIV and frailty. They will be put into two groups at random after being screened for frailty during their routine HIV annual health check. One group will receive usua care (from HIV experts and GPs). The other group will have a CGA (from HIV and elderly care experts). We want to find out if enough people will participate, if we’re asking the right questions, and if our plans for the larger trial will work.
REC name
East Midlands - Leicester Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/EM/0200
Date of REC Opinion
15 Sep 2021
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion