Producing a Fully Asynchronous Online Savvy Program

Dementia Clinical Trial

Official title:

Producing a Fully Asynchronous Online Savvy Program

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT04951037
• Other study ID #: STUDY00000749
• Secondary ID: 3P30AG064200-02S
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: September 15, 2021
• Est. completion date: September 2, 2022

Study information

• Verified date: March 2024
• Source: Emory University
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

This is a pilot/feasibility study to develop and test a fully online, self-administered psychoeducation program to enhance the caregiving mastery of family and friends who provide unpaid care for persons living with Alzheimer's and similar dementia disorders (PLWD).

Description:

This study seeks to develop and test a fully online, self-administered psychoeducation program to enhance the caregiving mastery of family and friends who provide unpaid care for persons living with Alzheimer's and similar dementia disorders (PLWD). As the number of PLWD rises in the United States from the perhaps 7 million today to possibly 15 million in 2050, the healthcare system will rely on those caregivers even more. It is well established that family caregiving is taxing and stressful and that managing the day-to-day life of PLWD and handling the behavioral and psychological symptoms in dementia (BPSD) that they may exhibit are the main sources of stress. Group-based psychoeducational programs such as the Savvy Caregiver program (SCP) have demonstrated that the acquisition of skills, knowledge, and caregiving mastery can ameliorate caregiving stress - and enhance PLWD quality of life. Many factors, however, preclude caregivers' attendance in group-based programs and limit programs' scalability. To address the issue of access, the researchers have developed the Tele-Savvy program, an online version of SCP that brings groups of caregivers together in facilitator-led synchronous groups and provides substantive educational augmentation through asynchronous e-mail-delivered video lessons.

The first aim of this study is to develop a fully asynchronous online Savvy program that incorporates learning activities that promote both knowledge and skill acquisition and develop and enhance caregivers' felt-sense of caregiving mastery. Developing this education program will utilize input from clinicians, educators, Tele-Savvy facilitators, and caregiver advisors. The second study aim is to determine the feasibility, acceptability and preliminary efficacy of the created online program. This study will recruit 60 family caregivers to take part in a no-control trial of the program. Data will be gathered at baseline, immediately upon course completion and at 3 months post-baseline to assess caregiver distress measures (depression, strain, burden, anxiety), caregiver competence/ mastery, and care recipient quality of life.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 60
• Est. completion date: September 2, 2022
• Est. primary completion date: September 2, 2022
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• primary unpaid caregiver for a community-dwelling PLWD

• provide at least 10 hours of direct care per week

• able to read and understand English

• be able to access the course online

• naïve to Savvy or Tele-Savvy

Exclusion Criteria:

• cannot provide consent

• prisoners

• cognitively impaired adult

• not able to clearly understand English

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Dementia

Intervention

Behavioral:
• Fully Asynchronous Online Savvy Program
The intervention is a fully online, self-administered psychoeducational program designed to enhance caregiver mastery for family and friends providing unpaid care for living with Alzheimer's and similar dementia disorders. Participants will be asked to engage with a fully online version of Tele-Savvy for 42 days. Participants will receive a series of daily video lessons related to caregiving. These lessons are generally 8-15 minutes in length and are emailed to participants. Participants can watch the lessons whenever and as often as they wish over the course of the study. There will also be self-guided learning strategies and exercises to accomplish skill and mastery related to the caregiving role. The lessons cover a variety of topics including: Facts about dementing Illnesses Caregiving Strategies - guiding the person through days that are as safe, calm, and pleasant as possible Self-Care for the Caregiver

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	Emory University	Atlanta	Georgia

Sponsors (2)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Emory University	National Institute on Aging (NIA)

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Center for Epidemiologic Studies - Depression (CES-D) Score	The CES-D is a 20-item self-report instrument asking respondents if they have experienced symptoms of depression during the past week. Responses are given on a scale of 0 to 3 where "rarely" = 0 and "most of the time" = 3. Total scores range from 0 to 60 and higher scores indicate greater symptoms of depression.	Baseline, Month 2, Month 3
Primary	Zarit Burden Interview Score	The Zarit Burden Interview is a 22-item scale of objective and subjective caregiver burden. Responses are given on a 5-point scale where 0 = never and 4 = nearly always. Total scores range from 0 to 88 where higher scores indicate greater feelings of being burdened with providing care.	Baseline, Month 2, Month 3
Primary	State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) Score	The STAI is a 20-item self-report scale of positive and negative anxiety experiences. Responses are given on a 4-point scale where 1 = not at all and 4 = very much so. Total scores range from 20 to 80 and higher scores indicate greater anxiety.	Baseline, Month 2, Month 3
Primary	Caregiver Mastery Scale - Caregiving Competence Score	The Caregiving Mastery instrument assesses caregiver mastery of 3 different realms of caregiving situations: Relational Deprivation, Caregiving Competence, and Management of Situation. The Caregiving Competence subscale asks caregivers about their thoughts about the caregiving they provide with 4 items where responses are given on a 4-point scale where "not at all" = 1 and "completely" or "very" = 4. Total scores range from 4 to 16 where higher scores indicate greater feelings of competence with caregiving.	Baseline, Month 2, Month 3
Primary	Revised Memory and Behavior Problem Checklist (RMBPC) Frequency Score	The RMBPC is a 24-item scale reporting on frequency of disturbing care recipient behaviors and severity or caregiver reactions to these behaviors. Respondents indicate how frequently problems have occurred on a 5-point scale where 0 = never occurred and 4 = daily or more often. Total frequency scores range from 0 to 96 with higher scores indicating greater frequency of memory and behavior problems exhibited by the PLWD.	Baseline, Month 2, Month 3
Primary	Revised Memory and Behavior Problem Checklist (RMBPC) Reaction Score	The RMBPC is a 24-item scale reporting on frequency of disturbing care recipient behaviors and severity or caregiver reactions to these behaviors. Respondents indicate the degree to which problems have bothered or upset them on a 5-point scale where 0 = not at all and 4 = extremely. Total reaction scores range from 0 to 96 with higher scores indicating more bothered or upset by memory and behavior problems exhibited by the PLWD.	Baseline, Month 2, Month 3