Contact information
Type
Scientific
Primary contact
Dr Richard Holland
ORCID ID
Contact details
School of Medicine
Health Policy & Practice
University of East Anglia
Norfolk
Norwich
NR4 7TJ
United Kingdom
+44 (0)1603 593574
r.holland@uea.ac.uk
Additional identifiers
EudraCT number
ClinicalTrials.gov number
Protocol/serial number
G106/991
Study information
Scientific title
Acronym
The HOMER trial
Study hypothesis
To determine whether domiciliary medication review leads to reductions in emergency hospital admissions and an improvement in quality of life compared to standard care among elderly subjects (80 years old and over).
Ethics approval
Not provided at time of registration.
Study design
Randomised controlled trial
Primary study design
Interventional
Secondary study design
Randomised controlled trial
Trial setting
Not specified
Trial type
Quality of life
Patient information sheet
Condition
Not Applicable
Intervention
Two groups:
Control group received standard care (whatever that entails).
Intervention group are referred to a review pharmacist. The review pharmacist will complete a standard medication review form and will then arrange a home visit at a time when they can meet the patient and any carers helping them with their drugs. The home visit will include a brief assessment of their ability to self-medicate and an assessment of drug compliance. The review pharmacist will, where appropriate:
a. Educate the patient/carer
b. Remove out-of-date drugs (with the patient's consent)
c. Feedback to the GP possible drug reactions/interactions
d. Feedback to the local pharmacist the need for a compliance aid.
One follow-up visit will occur at 6-8 weeks post-recruitment to allow reinforcement of the original advice.
Intervention type
Other
Phase
Not Applicable
Drug names
Primary outcome measure
Total number of emergency hospital admissions by 6-months
Secondary outcome measures
1. Total number of emergency hospital admissions by 3 months
2. Hospital/nursing/residential home admissions for respite care by 3 & 6 months
3. Admissions to nursing/residential care for long-term care by 3 & 6 months
4. Deaths by 3 & 6 months
5. Self-assessed quality of life at 3 & 6 months (using EQ-5D)
6. Average medication costs at 6 months
Overall trial start date
01/01/2001
Overall trial end date
31/12/2004
Reason abandoned (if study stopped)
Eligibility
Participant inclusion criteria
1. Discharged after an emergency hospital admission
2. 80 years and over
3. Prescribed two or more daily medications
4. Living in own home or warden controlled accommodation
5. Norfolk or Suffolk resident
Participant type
Patient
Age group
Senior
Gender
Both
Target number of participants
850
Participant exclusion criteria
Living in a residential or nursing home.
Recruitment start date
01/01/2001
Recruitment end date
31/12/2004
Locations
Countries of recruitment
United Kingdom
Trial participating centre
School of Medicine
Norwich
NR4 7TJ
United Kingdom
Sponsor information
Organisation
Medical Research Council (MRC) (UK)
Sponsor details
20 Park Crescent
London
W1B 1AL
United Kingdom
+44 (0)20 7636 5422
clinical.trial@headoffice.mrc.ac.uk
Sponsor type
Research council
Website
Funders
Funder type
Research council
Funder name
NHS Eastern Region R&D (reference number: HSR/1199/2) (UK)
Alternative name(s)
Funding Body Type
Funding Body Subtype
Location
Funder name
Medical Research Council (reference number: G106/991) (UK)
Alternative name(s)
MRC
Funding Body Type
government organisation
Funding Body Subtype
Federal/National Government
Location
United Kingdom
Funder name
Norfolk Health Authority (no reference number allocated) (UK)
Alternative name(s)
Funding Body Type
Funding Body Subtype
Location
Funder name
Norfolk Social Services (no reference number allocated) (UK)
Alternative name(s)
Funding Body Type
Funding Body Subtype
Location
Funder name
Suffolk Social Services (no reference number allocated) (UK)
Alternative name(s)
Funding Body Type
Funding Body Subtype
Location
Funder name
Pharmacy Practice Unit, UEA (no reference number allocated) (UK)
Alternative name(s)
Funding Body Type
Funding Body Subtype
Location
Results and Publications
Publication and dissemination plan
Not provided at time of registration
Intention to publish date
Participant level data
Not provided at time of registration
Basic results (scientific)
Publication list
2005 results in http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15665005
Publication citations
-
Results
Holland R, Lenaghan E, Harvey I, Smith R, Shepstone L, Lipp A, Christou M, Evans D, Hand C, Does home based medication review keep older people out of hospital? The HOMER randomised controlled trial., BMJ, 2005, 330, 7486, 293, doi: 10.1136/bmj.38338.674583.AE.