Telehealth Program for Stress in Older Adults

(TIP-OA Trial)

Overseen By Soham Rej, MD/MSc

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Lady Davis Institute

Disqualifiers: Inability to give consent

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

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 11

258 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?

COVID-19 is having profound effects on older adults' due to social isolation measures which may negatively impact individuals' mental and physical health. Recently, a telephone program, the Telehealth Intervention Program for Older Adults (TIP-OA), was created. In this program, a volunteer is calling older adults (age≥60) every week to have a friendly conversation. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of this telephone program (TIP-OA) in reducing stress, improving the mental health of program users, and understand their experiences.

Research Team

Soham Rej, MD/MSc

Principal Investigator

Lady Davis Institute

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for individuals aged 60 or older living in Montreal who speak English or French. Participants must be able to give consent and are interested in a telehealth program aimed at reducing isolation's impact on mental health.

Inclusion Criteria

Program Users must be TIP-OA Program Users

Program Users must be residing in Montreal

Volunteers must be TIP-OA program volunteers

Exclusion Criteria

Volunteers: None

Stakeholders: None

I am unable to give consent for medical procedures.

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Baseline Assessment

Initial assessment of mental health outcomes using various scales

1 week

1 visit (virtual)

Intervention

Weekly friendly phone calls from trained volunteers to older adults

8 weeks

8 calls (telephone)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in mental health outcomes

8 weeks

2 assessments (virtual)

Treatment Details

Interventions

• Telehealth phone calls

Trial Overview The study evaluates the Telehealth Intervention Program for Older Adults (TIP-OA), where volunteers make weekly friendly phone calls to assess its effectiveness in reducing stress and improving mental health among seniors.

Participant Groups

Group I: Volunteers - Qualitative Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

15 volunteers taking part in the semi-structured interviews and 16 volunteers participating in the focus groups. The interviews and focus groups will evaluate their roles, experiences, and challenges volunteering with the TIP-OA program.

Group II: Stakeholders - Qualitative Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

18 stakeholders (clinicians, community partners, TIP-OA team members) will participate in focus groups and interviews. Specifically, 10 clinicians will participate in one focus group and 8 community partners/team members will participate in interviews. The interviews and focus groups will evaluate their roles, experiences, and challenges volunteering with the TIP-OA program.

Group III: Program Users - Quantitative Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

The Telehealth Intervention Program (TIP-OA) for older adults was created during the COVID-19 pandemic to support the health of older adults who are isolated or have mental health/cognitive issues. Within the TIP-OA program, trained volunteers provide friendly phone calls once a week to older adults (age 60+). 200 participants will be recruited for the quantitative component of the study.

Group IV: Program Users - Qualitative Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Interviews will be conducted with 25 participants regarding their perceptions and experiences in the TIP-OA program.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Lady Davis Institute

Lead Sponsor

Trials

50

Recruited

6,600+