Engaging Families App for Caregiver Support

Overseen By Joanna J Kim, PhD

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Arizona State University

Disqualifiers: Decline app download

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 3

48 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?

This project is a pilot trial of the Engaging Families home practice smartphone application (or "app") as an add on to a family-based prevention program. Although there are many evidence-based preventive interventions delivered to caregivers to prevent youth substance use and mental illness and promote youth positive family and youth outcomes, the impact of these interventions is often limited by low home practice of intervention skills among caregivers. The Engaging Families home practice app is a digital behavior change intervention that was developed to support caregivers in practicing intervention skills at home. Researchers will ask participants if the app was acceptable and feasible for daily use at home. Researchers may also compare how often caregivers who use the study app do home practice of intervention skills compared with caregivers who do not receive the home practice app but are encouraged to use an app to help schedule their activities.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What data supports the effectiveness of the Engaging Families home practice app treatment?

Research shows that using mobile apps to collect patient-reported outcomes can improve communication between patients and healthcare providers, enhance symptom management, and make patients more active in their care. This suggests that the Engaging Families app could help caregivers by improving how they track and manage care-related tasks. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

How does the Engaging Families App for Caregiver Support differ from other treatments for caregiver support?

The Engaging Families App for Caregiver Support is unique because it leverages mobile health technology to provide caregivers with tools like tracking, task management, and mental support, which are tailored to their specific needs. Unlike traditional support methods, this app offers a comprehensive platform that integrates various functionalities to empower caregivers, addressing gaps in existing solutions. ^{6 7 8 9 10}

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for caregivers involved in a family-based prevention program aimed at preventing youth substance use and mental illness. It's designed to test if a smartphone app can help them practice intervention skills at home. Specific eligibility criteria are not provided, so generally, caregivers participating in the relevant prevention program may be considered.

Inclusion Criteria

Informed consent

Ownership and regular use of a smartphone

Concurrent enrollment in the family-based EBI Bridges

Exclusion Criteria

I choose not to download the study app on my phone.

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Intervention

Participants use the Engaging Families home practice app or an active control app to support home practice of skills learned in the Bridges program

8 weeks

3 sessions (in-person or virtual)

Post-intervention Assessment

Acceptability and feasibility of the app are assessed using surveys and interviews

2-3 months post baseline

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for continued use and effectiveness of the app

4 weeks

Treatment Details

Interventions

• Engaging Families home practice app

Trial Overview The trial is testing the 'Engaging Families' home practice app against possibly just using a regular scheduling app. The goal is to see if the specialized app helps caregivers more effectively practice skills from their prevention program with their families.

Participant Groups

Group I: Engaging Families App Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Participants in this arm will receive the Engaging Families home practice app

Group II: Active control app Active Control 1 Intervention

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Arizona State University

Lead Sponsor

Trials

311

Recruited

109,000+

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

Collaborator

Trials

2,658

Recruited

3,409,000+

Findings from Research

A systematic review of 11 studies on mobile applications for informal caregivers found that most apps were designed with caregivers' needs in mind, offering features like educational resources and well-being assessments.

The effectiveness of these mobile applications in alleviating caregiver burden is closely linked to how well they align with the specific needs of users, although the overall quality of evidence supporting their efficacy is currently low.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Mobile Apps for Helping Informal Caregivers: A Systematic Review. Sala-González, M., Pérez-Jover, V., Guilabert, M., et al.[2021]

References

1. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The HOPE Pilot Study: Harnessing Patient-Reported Outcomes and Biometric Data to Enhance Cancer Care. [2020]

2. Germany pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A technical solution to improving palliative and hospice care. [2022]

3. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Automated Reporting of Patient Outcomes in Hand Surgery: A Pilot Study. [2023]

4. Ireland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Patient-facing cancer mobile apps that enable patient reported outcome data to be collected: A systematic review of content, functionality, quality, and ability to integrate with electronic health records. [2023]

5. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Visualizing the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Measures for Clinicians and Patients. [2019]

6. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Supporting family care: a scoping app review. [2022]

7. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Mobile phone apps for family caregivers: A scoping review and qualitative content analysis. [2022]

8. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Scoping review: the empowerment of Alzheimer's Disease caregivers with mHealth applications. [2021]

9. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Mobile Apps for Helping Informal Caregivers: A Systematic Review. [2021]

10. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Technology and Caregiving: Emerging Interventions and Directions for Research. [2020]