Text Messages for Caregiver Burnout

Overseen By Ji Won Choi, PhD

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of California, San Francisco

Disqualifiers: Traveling outside US, others

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

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

Duration: 9 weeks

20 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

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

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

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Text messages for caregiver burnout?

Research shows that using text messages for health assessments can lead to high response rates and easy accessibility, which may help in monitoring and potentially reducing burnout, similar to how mobile apps have been effective in reducing burnout among mental health providers. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Is it safe to use text messages for caregiver support?

Research shows that using text messages in healthcare settings is generally safe, with no reports of harm from misreading, misinterpreting, or privacy issues. However, personalized messages are recommended to better meet individual needs. ^{6 7 8 9 10}

How do text messages as a treatment for caregiver burnout differ from other treatments?

Text messages for caregiver burnout are unique because they provide support and intervention through a simple, widely accessible technology that hasn't been extensively used for this purpose before. Unlike other treatments that may require in-person sessions or complex technology, text messages can offer timely support and resources directly to caregivers' phones, making it a convenient and immediate form of assistance. ^{6 11 12 13 14}

What is the purpose of this trial?

The caregivers of persons with dementia face significant emotional, physical, and financial challenges, particularly among under-resourced communities like Korean Americans, who encounter unique obstacles, including language barriers and limited culturally tailored resources. In this pilot study, the investigators propose the Brain Health Project, which focuses on increasing knowledge of Alzheimer's disease and related dementia and enhancing caregiving skills among Korean American dementia caregivers.

Research Team

Ji Won Choi, PhD

Principal Investigator

University of California, San Francisco

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for Korean American caregivers of individuals with dementia. It's designed to help those facing emotional, physical, and financial challenges due to caregiving duties. Participants should be able to receive text messages and understand Korean.

Inclusion Criteria

Self-identified as Korean American

Care for a person with undiagnosed or diagnosed dementia for the last 6 months

Have access to a mobile phone to receive text messages

Exclusion Criteria

Planning a trip out of the United States during the next four months

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Treatment

Participants receive text messages as part of the Brain Health Project to increase knowledge of Alzheimer's disease and enhance caregiving skills

9 weeks

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after treatment

4 weeks

Treatment Details

Interventions

• Text messages

Trial Overview The Brain Health Project tests whether sending educational text messages over 8 weeks can increase knowledge about dementia and improve caregiving skills among Korean American caregivers.

Participant Groups

Group I: Brain Health Project Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Text messages

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of California, San Francisco

Lead Sponsor

Trials

2,636

Recruited

19,080,000+

Findings from Research

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of different reminder methods (text messages, reminder calls, or both) in increasing the use of service referrals among 300 participants from community outreach programs.

The research will help determine how mobile phone-based interventions can enhance community engagement and service utilization, potentially guiding future reminder protocols for similar programs across the country.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A Research Protocol to Test the Effectiveness of Text Messaging and Reminder Calls to Increase Service Use Referrals in a Community Engagement Program. Varma, DS., Hart, M., McIntyre, DS., et al.[2020]

Home-based caregivers of individuals with dementia experience significant stress primarily due to challenges in medication management, memory loss, hygiene care, and disruptive behaviors, highlighting the need for targeted support.

Professional caregivers have better access to resources and technology, which could be beneficial if adapted for home-based caregivers, but any new technology must be designed with a focus on the human experience to effectively support both caregivers and those with dementia.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Stress in the Volunteer Caregiver: Human-Centric Technology Can Support Both Caregivers and People with Dementia. Huelat, B., Pochron, ST.[2021]

References

1. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Alleviating emotional exhaustion in oncology nurses: an evaluation of Wellspring's "Care for the Professional Caregiver Program". [2021]

2. Canada pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Evaluating the Mental Health of Physician-Trainees Using an SMS Text Message-Based Assessment Tool: Longitudinal Pilot Study. [2023]

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

Reduction of Burnout in Mental Health Care Providers Using the Provider Resilience Mobile Application. [2018]

4. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Risk factors for burnout among caregivers working in nursing homes. [2018]

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

Mindfulness-Based Compassion Training for Health Professionals Providing End-of-Life Care: Impact, Feasibility, and Acceptability. [2022]

6. Canada pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Text Messages to Support Caregivers in a Health Care System: Development and Pilot and National Rollout Evaluation. [2022]

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

The use of short message services (SMS) to provide medical updating to parents in the NICU. [2022]

8. Canada pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A Research Protocol to Test the Effectiveness of Text Messaging and Reminder Calls to Increase Service Use Referrals in a Community Engagement Program. [2020]

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

To Text or Not to Text? That is the Question. [2021]

10. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Automated Text Messaging During COVID-19: Patient Feedback to Increase Adoption. [2023]

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

A computer-mediated intervention for Alzheimer's caregivers. [2007]

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

Stroke caregivers share ABCs of caring. [2019]

13. China pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Behavioral health characteristics of a technology-enabled sample of Alzheimer's caregivers with high caregiver burden. [2020]

14. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Stress in the Volunteer Caregiver: Human-Centric Technology Can Support Both Caregivers and People with Dementia. [2021]