Telephone Intervention for Caregivers of Persons With Traumatic Brain Injury

University of Washington

Status and phase: Completed; Phase 2

Conditions: Brain Injuries

Treatments: Behavioral: Problem-solving, education based telephone counseling; Other: No Intervention

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; Other U.S. Federal agency

Identifiers

NCT00692575

NIDRR grant # H133A070032 (Other Grant/Funding Number)

33690-J

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study seeks to determine if problem-based telephone counseling improves quality of life and emotional well-being for caregivers of persons with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Full description

Caregivers and patients with TBI are recruited from the acute medical and inpatient rehabilitation units at Harborview Medical Center and the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle, WA. After informed consent is obtained, information is gathered from the caregiver about his/her living situation, support systems, and the nature of the caregiving relationship. Additional information is gathered from the person with TBI about how he/she is doing cognitively, socially, and emotionally. Prior to discharge home, caregivers are randomly selected to receive either standard care (typical support and/or resources) or standard care plus problem-based telephone counseling.

The telephone follow-up group receives a telephone call from a caregiver support specialist at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16 weeks after discharge of the patient with TBI home with the option of two additional calls. During those calls, the caregiver support specialist provides training on problem-solving skills along with education on topics of interest to caregivers of persons with TBI.

An outcome assessment is done at 6 months and 1 year after discharge home.

Enrollment: 153 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 16+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Family member or other person having a long-term relationship (at least one year) with person with TBI admitted to hospital and discharged home from acute care, inpatient rehabilitation, and/or skilled nursing facility within 7 months of date of injury.
• Sufficient English to permit communication without an interpreter.

Exclusion criteria

• Lack of a telephone.
• Lack of a permanent home address.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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153 participants in 2 patient groups

1: Experimental

Experimental group

Description:

Problem-solving, education based telephone counseling.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Problem-solving, education based telephone counseling

2: No intervention

Sham Comparator group

Description:

Standard of care control group

Treatment:

Other: No Intervention