Improving Self-care of Heart Failure Caregivers
- Conditions
- Heart Failure
- Interventions
- Behavioral: ViCCY
- Registration Number
- NCT03988621
- Lead Sponsor
- University of Pennsylvania
- Brief Summary
Informal caregiving is demanding and stressful. Caregivers of adults with heart failure (HF) report significant stress and poor self-care. Health coaching, a support intervention, may relieve stress and promote self-care in HF caregivers. Few studies have tested the cost-effectiveness of support interventions for caregivers. Even less is known about the effect of caregiver support interventions on HF outcomes. We developed and tested a virtual support intervention (ViCCY ("Vicky")-Virtual Caregiver Coach for you), in HF caregivers. Using randomized controlled trial (RCT) design, we enrolled informal HF caregivers with poor self-care (Health Self-Care Neglect scale score\>=2), randomizing them 1:1 to an intervention or control group. Both groups received Health Information (HI) delivered through the Internet, but the ViCCY caregiver group also received 10 health coaching support sessions tailored to individual issues. The control group had access to the same HI resources over the same interval, using the same Internet program, but without coaching support. At baseline and 3, 6, 9, and 12 months, we collected self-reported data on self-care, stress, coping, and health status. At 6 months, we compared ViCCY to HI alone to assess intervention efficacy using intent-to-treat analysis. A sample of 250 caregivers (125/arm) was enrolled to provide \>90% power to detect significant differences between the groups on the primary outcome of self-care (Aim 1). We collected quality adjusted life years (QALYs) and health care resource use in caregivers over 12 months to assess cost-effectiveness of ViCCY (Aim 2). To explore the effect of caregiver outcomes on HF patients' outcomes (hospitalization rates, hospital days, mortality rates, QALYs) over a 12-month period (Aim 3) and knowing that not all HF patients would enroll, we consented a subgroup of 93 HF patients cared for by these caregivers to explore the effect of caregiver self-care on patient outcomes. If shown to be efficacious and cost-effective, our virtual health coaching intervention can easily scaled to support millions of caregivers worldwide. This application addresses the NINR strategic plan and is directly responsive to PA-18-150.
- Detailed Description
We used a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design, randomizing informal heart failure (HF) caregivers meeting our inclusion and exclusion criteria 1:1 to an intervention or control group. After collecting baseline data, we block randomized the caregivers to achieve equal distribution of key variables in each condition. We will block randomize on caregiver sex (male/female), relationship to patient (e.g., spouse), and race. Sex and relationship are factors known to influence perceived caregiving burden and receptivity to intervention. Race was included to assure group balance. The randomization sequence was generated a priori by a statistician independent of the study investigators using a randomly permuted blocks algorithm to ensure equal distribution of these variables in each study arm. The Project Manager notified study staff and participants of their group assignment (intervention or control) by telephone, email or message, as preferred by the individual. Investigators and all staff involved in collecting assessment data were blinded to group assignment until after the data were locked. The health coach providing the intervention and the caregiver participants were not be blinded. All baseline data were collected prior to randomizing. Timing of follow-up assessments were based on day of randomization.
The study intervention was provided to individual caregivers. All caregivers (both groups) were provided with access to an Internet site with excellent health information (HI). The virtual support intervention (ViCCY \["Vicky"\] - Virtual Caregiver Coach for You) was provided through tablet devices provided to caregivers in the intervention group. We provided tablets to all the caregivers, assuring that they had wireless network access so they can access the Internet site providing HI content. Caregivers in the control group received only HI but caregivers in the intervention group received 10 sessions of ViCCY over 6 months.
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- COMPLETED
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 343
Informal caregiver of adults with heart failure providing care at least 8 hours/week, reporting poor self-care on screening (Health Self-Care Neglect scale score >=2 based on our pilot data), able to complete the protocol, e.g., adequate vision and hearing, and English speaking were required for enrollment.
Cognitive impairment (Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status [TICS] <25), Participation in another clinical trial of a support intervention, Untreated major psychiatric illness (Use of anti-anxiety/antidepressant medicines was acceptable and will be adjusted in analysis if group imbalance is identified).
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- PARALLEL
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description Intervention ViCCY Caregivers randomized to the intervention ViCCY will receive 10 front-loaded sessions of virtual health coaching by trained registered nurses over 6 months with content based on the theoretical framework (based on the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping) and prior research. Sessions are provided using tablets. Initially, sessions are weekly but the frequency decreases over time as needed. We help caregivers gain the knowledge and skills needed to achieve self-identified health goals through self-care using motivational interviewing. We focus on identifying personal values, solving problems, and transforming goals into action. ViCCY is standardized in a treatment manual. Because stress does not affect all people equally, the intervention is tailored to individual appraisals and the factors most likely to influence demand and perceived burden.
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Change in the Health Self-Care Neglect (HSCN) Scale The primary outcome was analyzed at 6 months (baseline compared to 6 months) but data were collected at 9- and 12-months to assess sustainability. The Health Self-Care Neglect (HSCN) scale measures an individual's neglect of self-care behaviors. It consists of 9 yes or no questions. Scores range from 0-9. Higher scores indicating more self-care neglect.
Change in the Self-Care Inventory, Maintenance Scale The primary outcome was analyzed at 6 months (baseline compared to 6 months) but data were collected at 9- and 12-months to assess sustainability. The Self-Care Inventory is a 20 item inventory with 3 embedded scales (self-care maintenance, monitoring, and management). The outcome used in this study was the 8-item Self-Care Maintenance Scale. Responses are added and standardized to range from 0-100. A higher score indicates better self-care.
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Change in the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) Main analysis was Baseline to 6 months. Data will be analyzed at 12 months to determine sustainability of intervention effect. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), a 14-item instrument that provides a global rating of an individual's belief in the severity and frequency of stressful experiences during the last month. The Perceived Stress Scale includes 14 items designed to assess symptoms of stress and global measures of the degree of stress experienced in the past month. Each item is scored from 0 (never) to 4 (very often), with total sum scores ranging from 0 to 56; higher scores indicate higher perceived stress. In prior test, Cronbach's alpha of the scale ranged from 0.84 to 0.86, and was 0.91 for older African American and European American females.
Change in the Ways of Coping Questionnaire The primary analysis was at 6 months (baseline compared to 6 months) but data were collected at 9- and 12-months to assess sustainability. We used a 30-item modification of the original 42-item questionnaire developed by Lazarus in 1985. We measured these coping styles: active, avoidance, and minimization. The instrument uses a 4-point Likert-scale response format (0 = not used to 3 = used a great deal). Scores range from 0-45, 0-30, and 0-30 for the active, avoidance and minimization subscales, respectively. Higher scores indicate greater use of particular coping styles.
Change in Health Status as Measured by the Short Form-36 (Physical and Mental Health Status) Main analysis Baseline to 6 months. Sustainability assessed at 12 months. Medical Outcomes Study Short Form (SF-36): measure of physical and mental health.The SF-36 has 36 items formatted in scales of varied format (3-, 5- and 6-pt scales and dichotomous \[yes/no\] scales). Each component score is standardized a 0-100 point scale. Higher values represent better health status. Reliability is varied samples is typically 0.80. Convergent and divergent validity have been demonstrated in various populations, including caregivers. A benefit of using the SF-36 is that it is one of the common data elements.
Change in the Caregivers' SF-6D (Short Form Six-dimension) Scores Measured at baseline, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months; primary analysis baseline to 12 months The SF-6D uses preference weights derived from the SF-36. The Short-Form Six-Dimension (SF-6D) provides a way to use the SF-36 in economic evaluation by estimating a preference-based single index measure for health from these data using general population values. The SF-6D score represents caregiver quality of life at a given timepoint. Higher SF-6D Scores are better.
Difference in Caregivers' Hospital and Provider Events Data were collected at Baseline, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. The primary analysis was done using the baseline to 12 month period. Healthcare resource use was self-reported by caregivers when they were telephoned at each follow-up period, asking about utilization since the last interview date. The self-reported healthcare use comprised 5 major categories: hospitalizations, emergency department (ED) visits, diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, ambulance services, and home care services. A bottom-up cost account approach was used, wherein the sum of resources times their unit price yielded the total costs associated with healthcare resource use. Unit prices were measured using the 2021 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) (https://meps.ahrq.gov/mepsweb), an annual survey on the financing and use of medical care in the United States collected by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
Trial Locations
- Locations (1)
University of Pennsylvania Hospital Heart and Vascular Clinic
🇺🇸Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States