The Effect of Wearable Technology-Enhanced Intervention on Family Caregivers (dementia care)

Izmir University of Economics

Status: Completed

Conditions: Dementia

Treatments: Other: Smartwatch-Supported Caregiver Intervention

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06967688

223S049 (Other Grant/Funding Number)

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a smartwatch-supported intervention on the self-efficacy and quality of life of informal caregivers providing care to individuals with dementia. Informal caregiving, especially in dementia, poses significant psychological and physical challenges. Low self-efficacy among caregivers can negatively impact their coping skills, health behaviors, and overall quality of life. The intervention used commercially available smartwatches that provided real-time data on physical activity, sleep, and stress levels. These devices were used as part of a 8-week caregiver support program aimed at promoting better self efficacay and quality of life level of caregiver of dementia.

Full description

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a smartwatch-supported intervention on the self-efficacy and quality of life of informal caregivers providing care to individuals with dementia. Informal caregiving, especially in dementia, poses significant psychological and physical challenges. Low self-efficacy among caregivers can negatively impact their coping skills, health behaviors, and overall quality of life. The intervention used commercially available smartwatches that provided real-time data on physical activity, sleep, and stress levels. These devices were used as part of a 8-week caregiver support program aimed at promoting self-care, stress awareness, and time management. This randomized controlled trial involved 44 participants, who were assigned to either the intervention group (smartwatch-supported care) or the control group (usual care). Outcome measures included caregiver self-efficacy and quality of life, assessed both before and after the intervention using validated instruments. The study hypothesized that caregivers in the intervention group would demonstrate improved self-efficacy and better quality of life compared to those in the control group.

Enrollment: 44 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• a) Able to speak and understand Turkish, b) Primarily responsible for the care of the PwD, c) Provides at least 4 hours of care per day, d) Owns a smartphone (for smartwatch integration), e) Able to use both a mobile phone and a smartwatch (adherence tested through a descriptive characteristic form), f) Willing to participate.

Exclusion criteria

• a)Hospitalization of patient or caregiver due to acute condition, b) Caregiver's visual or hearing impairment, c) New diagnosis affecting caregiver's mental health (e.g., depression).

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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44 participants in 2 patient groups

Smartwatch-Supported Intervention

Experimental group

Description:

This arm included informal caregivers of people with dementia who participated in a smartwatch-supported intervention. The intervention began with a structured interview session based on the section "Caring for Yourself as a Caregiver" from the book Caring for People with Dementia: Brief Practical Care Tips for Every Caregiver. During the initial session (lasting no more than 45 minutes), caregivers were introduced to the use of smartwatches and their various health-tracking parameters (e.g., heart rate monitoring, inactivity alerts, women's health tracking, weight tracking, blood oxygen levels, stress monitoring, water intake tracking, sleep monitoring). Caregivers were assisted in pairing the smartwatches with their smartphones and were provided with smartwatch diaries to record their health parameters and, optionally, to express their caregiving-related thoughts and feelings. Following the first meeting, weekly phone calls were conducted with each caregiver over an eight-week peri

Treatment:

Other: Smartwatch-Supported Caregiver Intervention

Usual Care

No Intervention group

Description:

This group included informal caregivers of people with dementia who did not receive any additional intervention beyond their usual caregiving routine. They continued their caregiving responsibilities as usual, without the support of wearable technologies or structured training.