IMPROVE-65
Improving survivorship for critically ill patients aged 65 and over
A multicentre randomised controlled parallel-group, two-sided superiority clinical and cost-effectiveness trial.
Aim:
To determine whether a multicomponent telehealth intervention improves survival and reduces hospital readmissions and disability at day 90 after critical illness in adults aged 65 years and over, compared to standard care.
Rationale:
Many Australians will be admitted to an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) due to a critical illness at some point in their lives, especially as they get older. People aged 65 years or older make up more than half of all ICU patients. While ICU care can save lives, it often comes with long-term health problems, such as physical disability, memory and thinking difficulties, and emotional distress.
Recovery can be slow and challenging, particularly for older people who may already have other health issues. Many patients and their families struggle to manage the transition from hospital to home and find it hard to coordinate care between the hospital and their general practitioner. Previous research has used patient reported-outcome measures to improve patient care by identifying problems earlier and improving communication between patients and doctors.
Building on previous research, the IMPROVE-65 study is designed specifically for people aged 65 and over who have survived critical illness. IMPROVE-65 aims to support patients and general practitioners by providing timely, personalised information to help them work together to make informed goals and decisions about their care to improve recovery and avoid preventable hospital readmissions.
Study Progress:
Ethics approval was obtained through Alfred Hospital Ethics Committee in September 2025 and commenced recruitment at the lead site in July 2026. A total of 300 participants will be enrolled.
Funding:
The IMPROVE-65 study is funded by the MRFF Survivorship Care and Collaborative Research Prioritisation grant.