Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT07529470

Rockwood Frailty Index and Survival in Hospital-at-Home Patients

Frailty is a key determinant of prognosis in older adults with complex chronic conditions and in palliative care settings. The Rockwood Frailty Index (RFI), based on the accumulation of health deficits, has demonstrated prognostic value across multiple clinical contexts. This study evaluates the association between the RFI and overall survival in complex chronic and palliative patients (oncologic and non-oncologic) treated in a Hospital-at-Home (HaH) unit.

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Home Care Services, Hospital-Based Frailty Mortality Palliative Care Pathologic Processes Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Age range

65 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

Hospital Universitari i Politècnic La Fe

Valencia, 46026, Spain

About this study

This retrospective longitudinal observational cohort study included patients aged 65 years or older admitted to a Hospital-at-Home (HaH) unit between January 1, 2021 and December 31, 2024. All patients had a recorded modified Rockwood Frailty Index (RFI) at admission and were subsequently followed through a structured case-management program led by nurse case managers via scheduled telephone follow-up.

Patients were classified into three clinical groups: complex chronic patients, non-oncologic palliative patients, and oncologic palliative patients. Non-oncologic palliative status was defined by an RFI ≥0.53, while complex chronic patients had an RFI >0.37 and <0.53. Oncologic palliative patients were classified based on referral from Oncology services regardless of frailty level.

The primary outcome was overall survival, defined as time from discharge from the HaH unit to death from any cause. Survival analyses were conducted using Kaplan-Meier curves and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models adjusted for relevant demographic, clinical, and laboratory covariates.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Age ≥65 years
  • Admission to the Hospital-at-Home unit during the study period
  • Recorded modified Rockwood Frailty Index at admission
  • Participation in the post-discharge case management follow-up program

Exclusion criteria

  • Incomplete data for frailty index calculation
  • Immediate loss to follow-up after discharge

Treatment and study plan

Patients identified and followed in this cohort received scheduled supportive telephone calls every two weeks if classified in the oncologic palliative care group, and once monthly in the case of comp

Other

Patients in this cohort received scheduled supportive telephone calls every two weeks if classified under palliative care (oncologic or chronic conditions), and once monthly if classified as chronic non-palliative patients.

Primary outcomes

  1. Overall Survival

    Time frame: 1 year

    Time from discharge from the Hospital-at-Home unit to death from any cause.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Comparative prognostic performance of the Rockwood Frailty Index versus Charlson Comorbidity Index

    Time frame: 1 year

    Comparison of the prognostic performance of the Rockwood Frailty Index and the Charlson Comorbidity Index for predicting overall survival.

    Measure:

    Hazard Ratios (HRs) for overall survival for each index.

    Unit of Measure:

    Hazard ratio

    Measurement Tool / Method:

    Rockwood Frailty Index; Charlson Comorbidity Index; Cox proportional hazards regression models.

  2. Association between age and overall survival

    Time frame: 1 year

    Overall survival according to age at baseline.

    Measure:

    Hazard Ratio (HR) for overall survival per year increase in age

    Unit of Measure:

    Hazard ratio

    Measurement Tool / Method:

    Cox proportional hazards regression model

  3. Association between sex and overall survival

    Time frame: 1 year

    Description:

    Overall survival according to sex at baseline.

    Measure:

    Hazard Ratio (HR) for overall survival comparing sex categories.

    Unit of Measure:

    Hazard ratio

    Measurement Tool / Method:

    Cox proportional hazards regression model

  4. Association between overall survival and clinical variables (Charlson Comorbidity Index)

    Time frame: 1 year

    Overall survival according to Charlson Comorbidity Index at baseline.

    Measure:

    Hazard Ratio (HR) for overall survival per point increase in Charlson Comorbidity Index.

    Unit of Measure:

    Hazard ratio

    Measurement Tool / Method:

    Charlson Comorbidity Index; Cox proportional hazards regression model

  5. Association between overall survival and clinical variables (Barthel Index)

    Time frame: 1 year

    Description:

    Overall survival according to the Barthel Index at baseline.

    Measure:

    Hazard Ratio (HR) for overall survival per point increase in Barthel Index.

    Unit of Measure:

    Hazard ratio

    Measurement Tool / Method:

    Barthel Index; Cox proportional hazards regression model

  6. Association between overall survival and laboratory parameters (C-reactive protein)

    Time frame: 1 year

    Overall survival according to C-reactive protein levels at baseline.

    Measure:

    Hazard Ratio (HR) for overall survival per unit increase in C-reactive protein.

    Unit of Measure:

    Hazard ratio

    Measurement Tool / Method:

    Serum C-reactive protein concentration (mg/L); Cox proportional hazards regression model

  7. Association between overall survival and laboratory parameters (albumin)

    Time frame: 1 year

    Description:

    Overall survival according to serum albumin levels at baseline.

    Measure:

    Hazard Ratio (HR) for overall survival per unit increase in serum albumin.

    Unit of Measure:

    Hazard ratio

    Measurement Tool / Method:

    Serum albumin concentration (g/dL); Cox proportional hazards regression model

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Instituto de Investigacion Sanitaria La Fe

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Assessment of One-year Mortality Risk Using the Modified 34-item Rockwood Index

Acronym: DOMMOR

Important dates

Study start
2021
Primary completion
2024
Study completion
2024
First posted
Apr 14, 2026
Registry last updated
Apr 21, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.