Distance Savvy: Testing Tele-Savvy, a Distance Dementia Family Caregiver Education Program

Emory University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Alzheimer's Disease; Depression; Dementia

Treatments: Other: iPad; Behavioral: Tele-Savvy

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02300584

IRB00074715

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to refine and test the web-based delivery of a well-established in-person group program that provides information and education to informal caregivers (family and friends) of persons with Alzheimer's disease (or related illnesses).

Full description

The pilot project proposed will allow the investigators to use telehealth methods to deliver the Savvy Caregiver, an evidence-based dementia caregiver psychoeducation program, to family caregivers of community-dwelling persons with dementing illnesses (PWD) for whom attending in-person meetings poses difficulties. The program - named Tele-Savvy - uses iPad and PC technology and on-line conferencing capacity to deliver the program through daily asynchronous self-learning modules and weekly, hour-long synchronous group meetings with program facilitators. Tele-Savvy addresses all of the learning objectives of the current in-person Savvy program (Savvy entails in-person participation in six weekly two-hour group sessions).

Enrollment: 42 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 21+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• an informal caregiver for a person with a dementing disorder, such as Alzheimer's disease
• able to speak, read, and understand English
• has access to a computer with internet connection
• lives in the US

Exclusion criteria

• unwilling to participate in data gathering

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Non-Randomized

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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42 participants in 2 patient groups

Prototype Program

Experimental group

Description:

The Savvy Caregiver (Savvy) - program delivered on an iPad (a tablet computer with an internet connection) extends over a six week period. Caregivers are asked to view brief daily videos (8-12 minutes) on the iPad. Once each week, a group of caregivers joins in a videoconference (an hour) with one or two trained leaders to review material from the week and to learn new material.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Tele-Savvy

Behavioral: Tele-Savvy

Other: iPad

Field Program

Experimental group

Description:

The Savvy Caregiver (Savvy) - program delivered on an iPad (a tablet computer with an internet connection) extends over a six week period. Caregivers are asked to view brief daily videos (8-12 minutes) on the iPad. Based on the feedback from the prototype program, the videos may vary. Once each week, a group of caregivers joins in a videoconference (an hour) with one or two trained leaders to review material from the week and to learn new material.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Tele-Savvy

Behavioral: Tele-Savvy

Other: iPad