The DIVERT-CARE (Collaboration Action Research & Evaluation) Trial

Rationale: In Canada, home care clients are a large and expanding subgroup of medically complex older adults with relatively poor access to effective chronic disease management. They have double the emergency department utilization rate compared to nursing home residents or other older populations. The investigators previously published a case-finding tool (the Detection of Indicators and Vulnerabilities for Emergency Room Trips (DIVERT) Scale) that has been recommended for chronic disease management case-finding in home care. The investigators recently conducted a pilot trial in Niagara, Canada, of a targeted, person-centered model of supportive cardio-respiratory disease management. Objectives: The investigators will evaluate a cardio-respiratory disease management model in home care to manage symptoms and avoid emergency department use. A pan-Canadian, pragmatic cluster-randomized trial will be conducted by a collaboration of trial investigators and public home care providers (i.e., health regions). The main objective is to evaluate the effectiveness and preliminary cost-effectiveness of a targeted, person-centered cardio-respiratory management model. The main question is: P: Among home care clients experiencing cardio-respiratory symptoms (objectively targeted using the DIVERT Scale), I: can a guideline-based, feasible, multi-component/complex, cardio-respiratory management model, C: compared to regular care, O: reduce cardio-respiratory symptoms, reduce/postpone unplanned emergency department (ED) visits, reduce unplanned hospital use, improve patient activation, or improve health-related quality of life for clients, T: over a 6-month follow-up period from baseline?