Care Ecosystem for Dementia
Trial Summary
Will I have to stop taking my current medications?
The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It is best to discuss this with the trial coordinators or your healthcare provider.
What data supports the effectiveness of the Care Ecosystem treatment for dementia?
The Care Ecosystem treatment has shown to improve the quality of life for people with dementia and their caregivers by providing support through phone and internet, which helps in managing care more effectively. It also promotes self-efficacy (confidence in managing care) among family caregivers by offering emotional support and connecting them to community resources.12345
Is the Care Ecosystem for Dementia safe for humans?
How is the Care Ecosystem treatment for dementia unique?
The Care Ecosystem is unique because it provides personalized and scalable dementia care through ongoing support from care team navigators, who offer education, resources, and emotional support to both patients and caregivers via phone and internet, regardless of their health system affiliations.1241011
What is the purpose of this trial?
The Care Ecosystem is an accessible, remotely delivered team-based dementia care model, designed to add value for patients, providers and payers in complex organizational and reimbursement structures. Care is delivered via the phone and web by unlicensed Care Team Navigators, who are trained and supervised by a team of dementia specialists with nursing, social work, and pharmacy expertise. The evidence base to date suggests that the Care Ecosystem improves outcomes important to people with dementia, caregivers, and payers when delivered in a controlled research environment, including reduced emergency department visits, higher quality of life for patients, lower caregiver depression, and reduced potentially inappropriate medication use (Possin et al., 2019; Liu et al., 2022). The investigators propose a rapid pragmatic trial in 6 health systems currently offering the Care Ecosystem program in geographically and culturally diverse populations. The investigators will leverage technology, delivering care via the phone and web and using electronic health records to monitor quality improvements and evaluate outcomes while maximizing external validity. The investigators will evaluate the effectiveness of the Care Ecosystem on outcomes important to patients, caregivers, healthcare providers, and health systems during the pandemic. By evaluating the real-world effectiveness in diverse health systems that are already providing this model of care, this project will bridge the science-practice gap in dementia care during an unprecedented time of heightened strain on family caregivers, healthcare providers and health systems.
Research Team
Katherine L Possin, PhD
Principal Investigator
University of California, San Francisco
Eligibility Criteria
This trial is for adults with various types of progressive dementia, including Alzheimer's, who live at home and have a primary caregiver willing to participate. They must not be in long-term care facilities, should agree to join the Care Ecosystem program and complete surveys. Those previously enrolled in the program or without accessible health records are excluded.Inclusion Criteria
Exclusion Criteria
Timeline
Screening
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial
Intervention
Participants receive the Care Ecosystem intervention, which is a remotely delivered team-based dementia care model
Follow-up
Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after treatment
Treatment Details
Interventions
- Care Ecosystem
Find a Clinic Near You
Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?
University of California, San Francisco
Lead Sponsor
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Collaborator
Ochsner Health System
Collaborator
HealthPartners Institute
Collaborator
University of Colorado, Denver
Collaborator
Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center
Collaborator
Providence Health & Services
Collaborator