Table 1 Research questions for the acute care setting in descending order of priority.

1.

In frail older adults, does the use of a critical care pathway for management of

pneumonia reduce hospital stay and improve health-related quality of life?

2.

For older adults over the age of 85 years, does admission to an intensive care unit for

sepsis reduce mortality?

3.

In hospitalized older adults, what are the modifiable risk factors for nosocomial

pneumonia?

4.

What are the barriers to implementation of a hospital-based pneumococcal vaccination

program for older adults?

5.

In older adults admitted to hospital with respiratory symptoms, how common is

infection with influenza?

6.

Does a computer-based learning intervention improve nurses' knowledge about

infection control precautions for hospitalized older adults?

7.

Compared to intravenous therapy, are highly bioavailable oral antibiotics effective in

treating older adults admitted to hospital with pneumonia?

8.

In older adults with nosocomial pneumonia, what are the most

important predictors of excess length of stay?

9.

Compared to usual care, do oral feeding programs for hospitalized older adults lead to

earlier discharge?

10.

What is the effectiveness of nursing-based strategies to reduce infection in hospitalized

high risk older adults?

11.

In hospitalized older adults, do swallowing evaluations and diet modifications reduce

pneumonia and other respiratory infections?

12.

Does early mobilizing of hospitalized older adults reduce the overall infection rate?

13.

Amongst older adults admitted to hospital from nursing homes, what is the

prevalence of colonization with multi-resistant bacteria and how common is

transmission of these multi-resistant bacteria to other hospitalized patients?

14.

In older adults, does early discharge from hospital reduce the risk for infection?

15.

For older adults admitted to hospital with nursing home acquired pneumonia, does the

addition of empiric anti-pseudomonal antibiotic coverage to standard therapy reduce

mortality?

16.

For specific nosocomial infections, are older adults treated with a longer duration of

antibiotics than younger patients?

17.

For older adults started on antibiotic therapy, does concurrent administration of an oral

Lactobacillus preparation decrease the rate of Clostridium difficile-associated

diarrhea?

18.

In older adults hospitalized for pneumonia, what is the natural history of functional

status?

19.

Does a care path for urinary care reduce duration and frequency of urinary

catherization in older hospitalized patients?

20.

In older adults, does the administration of supplemental oxygen during joint

replacement surgery decrease the risk of infection?