CHEC Intervention for Caregiver Support

Overseen By Elizabeth Sullivan, BA

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Weill Medical College of Cornell University

Disqualifiers: Hearing impairments, Visual impairments, others

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

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 1

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial tests a new approach called Collaborative Healthcare Encounters with Caregivers (CHEC), which supports family caregivers assisting older adults during doctor visits. The focus is on using a checklist to identify caregivers' needs and providing doctors with tips to address these concerns. Suitable participants include older adults (65+) accompanied by a family member to primary care visits at the Center on Aging. The trial aims to determine if this method improves the care experience compared to usual doctor visits. As an unphased trial, it offers participants the opportunity to contribute to innovative research aimed at enhancing healthcare experiences for older adults and their caregivers.

Do I need to stop my current medications to join the trial?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It seems to focus on caregiver support rather than medication changes.

What prior data suggests that the CHEC intervention is safe for caregivers?

Research has shown that the Collaborative Healthcare Encounters with Caregivers (CHEC) program is well-liked and easy to use. This program employs a simple checklist to enhance communication between family caregivers and doctors during older adults' regular doctor visits.

No data indicates any harmful effects or safety issues with CHEC. This is likely because CHEC is not a drug or medical procedure but a tool to improve communication and support in healthcare settings. By focusing on better conversations and understanding between caregivers and doctors, it is generally considered safe to use. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the CHEC Intervention for Caregiver Support because it directly addresses the often-overlooked needs of unpaid or family caregivers who accompany older adults to medical appointments. Unlike standard care, which typically focuses on the patient alone, CHEC introduces a checklist that helps identify the unique concerns of caregivers and provides clinicians with a Tip Sheet to better support them. This approach not only aims to improve the caregiving experience but also enhances the overall healthcare encounter for older adults, potentially leading to better outcomes for both patients and their caregivers.

What evidence suggests that the CHEC intervention is effective for caregiver support?

This trial will compare Collaborative Healthcare Encounters with Caregivers (CHEC) to Usual Care. Research has shown that CHEC can enhance support for caregivers during medical visits. Early results suggest that the checklist used in CHEC identifies the specific needs and concerns of unpaid or family caregivers. This tool ensures that caregivers' voices are heard and addressed in medical settings, promoting family-centered care. Initial trials indicated that this approach is practical and well-received by both caregivers and healthcare providers. While more research is needed, this method appears promising for improving the primary care experience for older adults and their caregivers. ^{1 2 3 4 6}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Catherine Riffin, PhD

Principal Investigator

Weill Medical College of Cornell University

Karl Pillemer, PhD

Principal Investigator

Cornell University

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This study is for older adults aged 65-89 who are cognitively intact and their family caregivers, both of whom must speak English. Caregivers must be over 21 years old. Clinicians treating patients at the Center on Aging can also participate. Those with severe hearing or visual impairments, or without mutual consent from their care dyad counterpart, cannot join.

Inclusion Criteria

Patients accompanied to primary care visits at the Center on Aging by a family caregiver (family caregiver also consents to participating in this study)

English speaking caregivers

I am a caregiver who goes with an older adult to their primary care visits at the Center on Aging.

Exclusion Criteria

Patients, caregivers, and clinicians that do not meet the inclusion criteria

Patients and caregivers who are deaf or have hearing impairments that limit their ability to answer telephone queries

Caregivers who are visually impaired and cannot see well enough to read large print and complete paper-based surveys

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Intervention

Implementation of the CHEC intervention, including the use of a checklist and Tip Sheet for clinicians during primary care visits

1 week

1 visit (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for the effectiveness of the CHEC intervention, including its helpfulness and ease of use

1 week

Long-term Follow-up

Monitoring of the accrual rate and desire to continue using the checklist

Up to 1 year

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Collaborative Healthcare Encounters with Caregivers (CHEC)
• Usual Care

Trial Overview The trial is testing CHEC (Collaborative Healthcare Encounters with Caregivers), which includes a checklist to identify caregiver needs during primary care visits for seniors, plus a Tip Sheet for clinicians to address these concerns compared to usual care practices.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Caregiver Checklist (CHEC) Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

CHEC is composed of two elements: 1) a checklist to identify the needs and concerns of unpaid/family caregivers who accompany older adults (aged 65+) to their primary care visits and 2) Tip Sheet for clinicians.

Group II: Usual care Active Control 1 Intervention

Attendance at primary care appointments as usual.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Weill Medical College of Cornell University

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,103

Recruited

1,157,000+

National Institute on Aging (NIA)

Collaborator

Trials

1,841

Recruited

28,150,000+

Citations

1. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40015556/

A Checklist-Based Intervention for Primary Care - PubMed - NIH This pilot trial aimed to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of Collaborative Healthcare Encounters with Caregivers (CHEC).

2. journals.sagepub.com journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/07334648251323688

A Checklist-Based Intervention for Primary Care This pilot trial aimed to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of Collaborative Healthcare Encounters with ...

3. ecommons.cornell.edu ecommons.cornell.edu/bitstreams/8b709c5d-c71c-4f13-bb81-697f7a53e79c/download

Catherine Riffin,1 Lilla Brody,2 Jennifer L. Wolff,3 & Karl A. Pillemer ... Our checklist- based intervention, Collaborative Healthcare Encounters with Caregivers (CHEC) is a promising tool for supporting family-centered care and ...

4. researchgate.net researchgate.net/publication/389403814_A_Pilot_Trial_Evaluating_Collaborative_Healthcare_Encounters_With_Caregivers_A_Checklist-Based_Intervention_for_Primary_Care

A Checklist-Based Intervention for Primary Care This pilot trial aimed to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of Collaborative Healthcare Encounters with Caregivers (CHEC), ...

5. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10736049/

A CHECKLIST-BASED INTERVENTION TO SUPPORT ... Collaborative Healthcare Encounters with Caregivers (CHEC) is a checklist-based intervention that uses a prioritization approach to help caregivers ...

6. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0883941724000633

Effectiveness of a health education program for people with ... This study assesses the effectiveness of a health education program on caregiving outcomes for people with dementia and their families.