| Wilber 2005 |
RCT; 2 parallel groups. |
DESCRIPTION: 132 elderly out‐patients admitted to the emergency department, in Ohio, USA.
NUMBERS: Chair group = 66, Gurney group = 66.
AGE, mean (SD): Chair group = 77 (7.2), Gurney group = 78 (6.7) years old.
GENDER (male/female): Chair group = 28/38, Gurney group = 27/39.
ETHNICITY: not described.
INCLUSION CRITERIA: Ambulatory outpatients; 65 years or older; able to sit upright, transfer, and engage in normal conversation.
EXCLUSION CRITERIA: Refused participation; too ill to participate (as determined by the Emergency Department attending physician); unable to follow the instructions to remain in the chair or gurney and use the call light for any transfers (determined by the study nurse). |
CHAIR GROUP: Remained on the gurney until initial physician and nursing evaluations complete. Patients were then assisted to a reclining chair. Patients were told "it is now time to move to the chair" and if they asked why, they were told they had the option of now moving to the chair. Patients were assisted to a position of comfort. Patients can sit on the reclining chairs with the hips and knees flexed.
GURNEY GROUP: Remained on the gurney (the Emergency Department bed) throughout. The gurney has a thin foam mattress. Patients were assisted to a position of comfort. |
PAIN: "The study nurse specifically instructed patients to rate pain associated with the gurney, rather than other sources." Measured on a NRS at three time points (time 0 = baseline; time 1 = one hour after randomisation; time 2 = two hours after randomisation). This outcome was dichotomised as favourable outcome (yes/no). A favourable outcome was considered as the patient having no pain at time 0 or time 1, or a decrease in pain from time 0 to time 1. An unfavourable outcome was defined as an increase in pain from time 0 to time 1, or no change in pain score if the patient complained of pain at time 0.
SATISFACTION: Satisfaction with the gurney or chair was measured on a VAS at the time of discharge or after two hours (which ever came first). |
SDs for satisfaction were estimated from the 95% confidence interval (1.4, 2.8), assuming 66 patients per group.
Data extracted for pain at T1 for completeness of data. Results were slightly more pronounced at T2. |
