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

Trial Summary

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 data supports the effectiveness of the Family Room App treatment?

Research shows that involving family members in patient care, as seen in family-centered care models, can lead to improved patient satisfaction and outcomes, such as reduced hospital stays and better overall care experiences. This suggests that the Family Room App, which supports caregiver involvement, may also enhance these aspects of care. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

How is the Family Room App treatment different from other treatments for caregiver support?

The Family Room App is unique because it is a mobile application specifically designed to support informal caregivers by providing educational resources, solutions to common caregiving problems, and tools to assess caregivers' well-being, all tailored to meet their specific needs. ^{6 7 8 9 10}

What is the purpose of this trial?

Engaging families in patient care during serious illness can enhance care quality, reduce social isolation, boost satisfaction, and lower healthcare costs. However, active involvement of family caregivers remains limited because there are no evidence-based tools to guide clinicians on how to include them effectively. This study will test and refine previously developed point-of-care application, Family Room, and determine its effectiveness by comparison with a control group. A series of surveys will be used to evaluate caregiver well-being, engagement and satisfaction.

Research Team

Breanna Hetland, PhD

Principal Investigator

University of Nebraska

Eligibility Criteria

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

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)

Treatment Details

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.

Participant Groups

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+

Findings from Research

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 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]

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]

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]

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: Lower-Risk Interventions. Arnstein, P., Shade, M., 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

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: Higher-Risk Interventions. Arnstein, P., Shade, M., Herr, KA., et al.[2023]

References

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

Hospitalized elders: changes in functional and mental status. [2019]

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

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

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

Continuous quality improvement in the neonatal intensive care unit: evaluating parent satisfaction. [2019]

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

The Family-Centered Care Assessment Scale: Development and Psychometric Evaluation in a Turkish Sample. [2020]

5. England 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. [2022]

6. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Mobile Apps for Helping Informal Caregivers: A Systematic Review. [2021]

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

Managing Older Adults' Chronic Pain: Lower-Risk Interventions. [2023]

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

Assessing Pain in Older Adults. [2023]

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

Supporting the Health and Well-Being of Caregivers of Persons with Pain. [2023]

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

Managing Older Adults' Chronic Pain: Higher-Risk Interventions. [2023]