NCT03884218

Thermal Imaging in Old and Frail in the Community

A Study to Assess Thermal Comfort of Frail Older People in a Care Home Setting.

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 39 (actual)
• Sponsor: Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 60 Years – 105 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

This study aims to test whether infrared thermal imaging using a non-touch, non-ionising, thermal camera system is feasible and reliable as an independent technique for thermal comfort assessment in older people and frail older people living in a care home and with or without mild cognitive impairment.

Detailed description

Thermal comfort (TC) is a complex interaction involving physiological, social, cultural and clothing factors. In hospital and in care homes, health-issues (frailty, dementia, immobility) can affect a person's perception of TC. In the UK 18,000 care homes provide living-communities for approximately 400,000 people. Many are old/frail and vulnerable to indoor chilling. A quality indicator for a good ''home'' environment is related to TC. However, in multiplyoccupied rooms TC varies between individuals. The challenge in health-assessment is in identifying ''uncomfortable'' residents (too hot/too cold). As TC is a subjective perception; a carer cannot reliably predict TC in another person. The objectives are to use infra-red thermal imaging (IRTI) to 'see' the body temperature map, to demonstrate prevalence of TC/thermal discomfort, to demonstrate whether there is correspondence/dissociation between TC self-report and IRTI-measured body/extremity (hand) temperature. The study aims to establish if TC can be predicted by an independent non-invasive imaging device Expected achievements are a two-way pathway to health impact: 1. identification of eligible adults via NHS intermediary care- and awaiting care home residency 2. expert guidance and collaboration with NHS partners 3. translation of results from community to NHS setting e.g. stoke/aged care medicine for improved thermal care on the hospital wards Longer-term the expected achievement (5-7 years)-working with NHS colleagues and design/product development teams is expected to lead towards a commercialisation pathway.

Conditions

• Old Age; Debility

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Infra red thermal imaging	thermal image using a non-touch, non-ionising, thermal camera system

Timeline

• Start date: 2017-03-07
• Primary completion: 2018-10-01
• Completion: 2018-10-01
• First posted: 2019-03-21
• Last updated: 2019-03-22

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United Kingdom