Savvy System Project

Emory University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Caregiver Burnout; Dementia

Treatments: Behavioral: Savvy program; Behavioral: Semi-structured video interviews

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT04060355

IRB00108423

R01AG061971 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Details and patient eligibility

About

The study goal is to develop a web-based system that uses distance education methods and provides manuals and protocols to train, certify, and monitor the performance of interventionists to deliver the Savvy Caregiver program (Savvy), an evidence-based dementia family caregiver psychoeducation program. The system has a potential to increase the scalability of Savvy.

Full description

The number of People Living With Disability (PLWD) in the U.S. will rise from 5.7 million to 14 million by 2050, and the number of family caregivers who maintain these persons in the community will rise proportionately from 15 million at present. Several psychoeducation programs, including Savvy, have successfully ameliorated the adverse effects of caregiving, but these programs are only minimally available and accessible.

The study goal is to develop a web-based system that uses distance education methods and provides manuals and protocols to train, certify, and monitor the performance of interventionists to deliver the Savvy Caregiver program (Savvy), an evidence-based dementia family caregiver psychoeducation program. The system has a potential to increase the scalability of Savvy.

Enrollment: 120 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

Organizational Leaders

1. Able to understand and speak English
2. Affiliated with an organization serving caregivers for family members living with Alzheimer's disease or related dementias
3. 18 years or older

Interventionists

1. Able to understand and speak English
2. Affiliated with a participating organization
3. 18 years or older

Caregivers

1. Able to understand and speak English
2. Caregiver for a person living with Alzheimer's disease or related dementias (PLWD) who is providing informal care for at least 3 hours a day. PLWD should not be bound for institutional care within the next 6 months.
3. 18 years or older

Trial design

Primary purpose: Health Services Research

Allocation: Non-Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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120 participants in 3 patient groups

Savvy Participants

Experimental group

Description:

Using an on-line survey method, each caregiver will be asked to complete the post-program fidelity monitoring survey that seeks responses to the program (feel more knowledgeable, more competent, better equipped, etc.) and asks them to assess the interventionist's performance and verify that certain key elements of the program were covered.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Savvy program

Interventionists

Experimental group

Description:

Three recorded semi-structured video interviews will be conducted with each interventionist. One will occur immediately after training; this will focus on their sense of the completeness and adequacy of the training program, including the training methods, videos, and materials, and their perceived readiness to lead the program. Another interview will be done immediately after the conduct of each of the two Savvy programs they lead, asking them to report on their performance as interventionists, including any adaptation processes in which they might have engaged, and to reflect on ways the training might be improved to strengthen their skills, including for adaptation.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Semi-structured video interviews

Organizational Leaders

Experimental group

Description:

Recorded semi-structured video interviews with sponsoring organizations' key contact persons will be conducted immediately after the interventionist training and then after each of the two Savvy offerings. The conversation will focus on identifying ways to strengthen and improve the training, certification, and fidelity monitoring system. Information about time and resource costs of the program, caregiver demand, and caregiver recruitment and feedback will be also collected.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Semi-structured video interviews