Additional exercise does not change hospital or patient outcomes in older medical patients: A controlled clinical trial

Abstract

Question: What are the effects of additional exercise on hospital and patient outcomes for acutely-hospitalised older medical patients? Design: Controlled clinical trial. Participants: 236 patients aged 65 or older admitted to an acute care hospital with a medical illness between October 2002 and July 2003. Intervention: The experimental group received usual care plus an individually tailored exercise program administered twice daily from hospital admission to discharge. The control group received usual care only. Outcome measures: The primary outcome was discharge destination. Secondary outcomes were measures of activity limitation (Barthel Index, Timed Up and Go, Functional Ambulation Clas..