ong-distance caregiving at the end of life

• Conditions: ong-distance caregivers of patients, = 18 years of age, who suffer from a malignant or non-malignant life-limiting chronic disease

• Registration Number: DRKS00024164
• Lead Sponsor: Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Institut für Allgemeinmedizin und Palliativmedizin

Brief Summary

Not available

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2021-01-25
• Results First Posted: 2022-03-24
• Study Completion: 2023-09-30
• Last Update Posted: 19 August 2024

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: Complete
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 33

Inclusion Criteria

Family caregivers (= 18 years of age) of living or deceased adult patients with a malignant or non-malignant life-limiting chronic disease. Caregivers must be due to geographical distance (other place of residence) unable to have daily face-to-face contact with the patient and must give a positive answer to the following screening question: Do you perceive yourself as a long-distance caregiver?
Individuals, irrespective of their sex and ethnic background, may participate.
Having received comprehensive oral and written information about the nature, the content and aim of the study and about study participation, caregivers provide written informed consent in order to be eligible to participate in the project.

Exclusion Criteria

Exclusion criteria are: (1) cognitive impairment such as dementia, (2) insufficient cognitive skills to answer interview questions, (3) significant emotional distress during interview, and/or (4) caregivers of patients deceased >1 year prior to the caregivers' study participation.

Study & Design

• Study Type: observational
• Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
The primary outcome is described by a qualitative overview of long-distance caregivers' experiences and needs. Each interview transcript will be analysed by two researchers in the qualitative data analysis software MAXQDA using procedures of Grounded Theory. Interview data will continuously be analysed in order to determine if data saturation has been achieved. Data collection will end once data saturation is obtained.