Family Room App for Caregiver Support

Recruiting at 1 trial location

Overseen By Breanna Hetland, PhD

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of Nebraska

Disqualifiers: Not legally authorized representative

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

Approved in 1 Jurisdiction This treatment is already approved in other countries

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 1

100 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to determine if a new app, called Family Room, can help caregivers feel more involved and supported when their loved ones are in the intensive care unit (ICU). By comparing caregivers who use the app to those who do not, researchers aim to assess whether the app improves caregiver well-being and satisfaction. Individuals present at a patient's bedside in the ICU and able to make medical decisions for them are well-suited for this trial. As an unphased trial, this study offers caregivers a unique opportunity to contribute to research that could enhance support systems in the ICU.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether participants need to stop taking their current medications.

What prior data suggests that the Family Room App is safe for caregivers?

Research shows that the Family Room App helps family caregivers engage in patient care. The app provides real-time information and fosters a sense of connection. As a digital tool, it has no known side effects.

The study testing the app is marked as "Not Applicable" for clinical phases, focusing on the app's effectiveness and user satisfaction rather than drug safety. Consequently, no negative effects are expected from using the app, as it serves as a supportive tool without physical side effects. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the Family Room App for caregiver support because it offers a novel approach to helping families of patients in intensive care. Unlike traditional methods, which often rely on in-person consultations and printed materials, this app provides real-time updates and resources directly to caregivers' personal devices. The app aims to enhance communication between the ICU team and family members, reducing stress and increasing involvement in the care process. By leveraging technology, the Family Room App has the potential to improve the overall experience for caregivers, making it a promising addition to current support options.

What evidence suggests that the Family Room App is effective for caregiver support?

Research shows that the Family Room app, available to participants in this trial, helps caregivers feel more involved when a loved one is in the hospital. Early results suggest that the app increases caregiver involvement and satisfaction. It provides families with real-time information and tools to participate in patient care. Although specific data collection is ongoing, past use of the app has demonstrated its ability to reduce stress and uncertainty for caregivers. Overall, the Family Room app aims to make caregivers feel more connected and supported during challenging times. ^{1 3 6 7 8}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Breanna Hetland, PhD

Principal Investigator

University of Nebraska

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for family caregivers of patients with serious illnesses. Participants should be interested in using a new app called the Family Room to potentially improve their caregiving experience during the patient's hospital stay.

Inclusion Criteria

I am 19 years old or older.

Participants must be at the patient's bedside during the patient's intensive care unit (ICU) admission and are considered the patient's legally authorized representative (LAR) or designated caregiver who is able to make medical decisions on their behalf.

Exclusion Criteria

Participants located at the patient's bedside but are not the patient's legally authorized representative (LAR) or designated caregiver who is able to make medical decisions on their behalf.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Control Group Recruitment

Participants are enrolled into the control group which consists of routine care and informational practices of the ICU team

8 months

Continuous monitoring during ICU stay

Experimental Group Recruitment

Participants receive the Family Room application on their personal devices

10 months

Continuous monitoring during ICU stay

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for caregiver well-being, engagement, and preparedness after ICU discharge

48 hours post-ICU discharge

1 visit (virtual or phone)

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Family Room App

Trial Overview The study tests the Family Room App, designed to engage caregivers in patient care, aiming to enhance care quality and satisfaction while reducing isolation and healthcare costs. It follows previous development and testing phases.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Intervention Group - Family Room Application Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

During the last 10 months, participants will be enrolled into the intervention group where they will use the Family Room application on their personal devices.

Group II: Control Group - No Intervention Active Control 1 Intervention

During the first eight months, participants will be enrolled into the control group which consists of routine care and informational practices by the intensive care unit (ICU) team.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Nebraska

Lead Sponsor

Trials

563

Recruited

1,147,000+

Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation

Collaborator

Trials

15

Recruited

85,800+

Published Research Related to This Trial

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]

Family caregivers often lack essential information to effectively manage the complex care needs of their loved ones, highlighting a significant gap in support.

The article series aims to equip nurses with practical tools and resources to better assist family caregivers, including informational materials and instructional videos, to enhance caregiving at home.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Managing Older Adults' Chronic Pain: Higher-Risk Interventions. Arnstein, P., Shade, M., Herr, KA., et al.[2023]

In a study involving 173 hospitalized elders, those who received care from family-centered geriatric resource nurses showed significant improvements in functional and cognitive status from admission to discharge.

However, when a subset of 50 patients from the intervention group was compared to 44 control subjects, no statistically significant differences were found, suggesting that while the intervention was beneficial overall, it may not have outperformed standard care in all cases.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Hospitalized elders: changes in functional and mental status. Fitzpatrick, JJ., Stier, L., Eichorn, A., et al.[2019]

Health care facilities that include patient and family advisors see better outcomes, such as shorter hospital stays and higher patient satisfaction, indicating the effectiveness of their involvement.

Involving patient and family advisors promotes a holistic approach to treatment, ensuring that care aligns with patients' preferences and needs.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Involving patient and family advisors in the patient and family-centered care model. Warren, N.[2012]

The Family-Centered Care Assessment Scale (FCCAS) was developed and validated through a study involving 360 parents of hospitalized children, demonstrating strong psychometric properties with a high internal consistency (Cronbach's Alpha of 0.94) and a content validity index of 0.92.

The FCCAS, which consists of 21 items and three sub-dimensions, is a reliable tool for evaluating family-centered care in pediatric clinics, making it useful for both descriptive and intervention studies in this area.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The Family-Centered Care Assessment Scale: Development and Psychometric Evaluation in a Turkish Sample. Arslan, FT., Geckil, E., Aldem, M., et al.[2020]

The Parent Feedback Questionnaire effectively captures NICU parents' perceptions and needs across various dimensions, including informational, emotional, parenting, and environmental aspects, to enhance family-centered care.

Ongoing feedback from parents is used to inform a multidisciplinary quality improvement program, leading to targeted interventions aimed at reducing parental stress and increasing satisfaction in the NICU setting.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Continuous quality improvement in the neonatal intensive care unit: evaluating parent satisfaction. Blackington, SM., McLauchlan, T.[2019]

A study involving 40 participants from nine hospitals identified four key themes essential for enhancing patient and family engagement (PE) in healthcare: resources, training, organizational commitment, and staff support.

Despite the recognition of PE's benefits, hospitals often lack dedicated funding and compensation for patient/family advisors, highlighting a critical barrier to effective engagement that needs further research and improvement.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Organizational capacity for patient and family engagement in hospital planning and improvement: interviews with patient/family advisors, managers and clinicians. Anderson, NN., Baker, GR., Moody, L., et al.[2022]

Family caregivers often lack essential information to effectively manage the complex care needs of their loved ones, highlighting a significant gap in support.

The article series aims to equip nurses with practical tools and resources to better assist family caregivers, including informational materials and instructional videos, to enhance caregiving at home.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Assessing Pain in Older Adults. Horgas, AL., Bruckenthal, P., Chen, S., et al.[2023]

Family caregivers often lack essential information to effectively manage the complex care needs of their loved ones, highlighting a significant gap in support.

The article series aims to equip nurses with practical tools and resources to better assist family caregivers, including informational materials and instructional videos, to enhance caregiving at home.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Supporting the Health and Well-Being of Caregivers of Persons with Pain. Tonkikh, O., Chi, NC., Herr, KA., et al.[2023]

Family caregivers often lack essential information to effectively manage the complex care needs of their loved ones, highlighting a significant gap in support.

The article series aims to equip nurses with practical tools and resources to better assist family caregivers, including informational materials and instructional videos, to enhance caregiving at home.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Managing Older Adults' Chronic Pain: Lower-Risk Interventions. Arnstein, P., Shade, M., Herr, KA., et al.[2023]

Citations

1. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06463158

The Impact of the Family Room App on Caregivers This study will test and refine previously developed point-of-care application, Family Room, and determine its effectiveness by comparison with a control group.

2. familyroom.health familyroom.health/hospitals/

Hospitals - Family Room Real-time data infrastructure built within REDCap with comprehensive outcome measurement framework. Real-time engagement metrics and family utilization data ...

3. centerwatch.com centerwatch.com/clinical-trials/listings/NCT06463158/the-impact-of-the-family-room-app-on-caregivers?dt_type=updated&page=6&state=NE&city=Omaha

The Impact of the Family Room App on Caregivers This study will test and refine previously developed point-of-care application, Family Room, and determine its effectiveness by comparison with ...

4. withpower.com withpower.com/trial/phase-well-being-psychological-5-2024-be2d9

Family Room App for Caregiver Support This study will test and refine previously developed point-of-care application, Family Room, and determine its effectiveness by comparison with a control group.

5. unomaha.edu unomaha.edu/nebraska-business-development-center/news/2024/04/client-story-family-room.php

Family Room App Eases the Stress, Uncertainty ... Dr. Hetland has created a mobile app called Family Room, a digital platform to promote patient and family involvement in care during acute hospitalization.

6. homeinstead.com homeinstead.com/home-care/usa/ne/beatrice/573/home-care-services/the-home-instead-family-room/

Transparency of Care with the Home Instead Family Room Everyone with access to the portal can login and keep up with real-time notes made by caregivers. You can stay informed of your loved one's care as it occurs.

7. homeinstead.com homeinstead.com/home-care/usa/wa/bellingham/717/news-and-media/supporting-family-caregivers-recognize-stress-find-balance-access-help/

Supporting Family Caregivers | National Caregivers Month Personalized support—mobility, nutrition, memory care—helps loved ones feel safe and independent. Each caregiving journey is unique. When ...

8. homeinstead.ca homeinstead.ca/home-care/can/ab/leduc/3058/home-care-services/the-home-instead-family-room/

Transparency of Care with the Home Instead Family Room Everyone with access to the portal can login and keep up with real-time notes made by caregivers. You can stay informed of your loved one's care as it occurs.