In-Home Adjustment of New Spinal Cord Injury Caregivers
| Status: | Recruiting |
|---|---|
| Conditions: | Hospital, Hospital, Orthopedic |
| Therapuetic Areas: | Orthopedics / Podiatry, Other |
| Healthy: | No |
| Age Range: | 18 - 89 |
| Updated: | 3/13/2019 |
| Start Date: | February 9, 2018 |
| End Date: | December 31, 2020 |
| Contact: | Paul Perrin, PhD |
| Email: | pperrin@vcu.edu |
| Phone: | (804) 827-3894 |
To improve spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation through stronger informal caregiving, the
proposed study will modify and evaluate a telehealth Transition Assistance Program (TAP) for
informal caregivers of individuals with SCI during the transition from hospital to home. The
TAP was previously developed for stroke caregivers and has been found to decrease caregiver
strain and depression. In the proposed study, the TAP will be modified for SCI and
implemented at a state-of-the-art SCI rehabilitation facility with a very high volume of SCI
treatment and with telehealth technology already in place through which to test the
intervention.
proposed study will modify and evaluate a telehealth Transition Assistance Program (TAP) for
informal caregivers of individuals with SCI during the transition from hospital to home. The
TAP was previously developed for stroke caregivers and has been found to decrease caregiver
strain and depression. In the proposed study, the TAP will be modified for SCI and
implemented at a state-of-the-art SCI rehabilitation facility with a very high volume of SCI
treatment and with telehealth technology already in place through which to test the
intervention.
SCI Caregivers will be randomly assigned to either the TAP group or to a control receiving
the standard care provided by the rehabilitation facility. The TAP begins before discharge
and extends across six weeks. It includes three components to improve caregiver mental health
and informal care: (1) skill development, (2) education, and (3) supportive problem solving.
TAP caregivers will receive an SCI caregiving guidebook, a 1-hour intervention session by an
SCI clinician before hospital discharge, and four 1-hour telehealth clinic-to-home visits at
1, 2, 4, and 6 weeks after discharge by the same clinician. Data will be collected from
caregivers and individuals with SCI at baseline immediately before discharge and at 2 and 4
months after discharge.
the standard care provided by the rehabilitation facility. The TAP begins before discharge
and extends across six weeks. It includes three components to improve caregiver mental health
and informal care: (1) skill development, (2) education, and (3) supportive problem solving.
TAP caregivers will receive an SCI caregiving guidebook, a 1-hour intervention session by an
SCI clinician before hospital discharge, and four 1-hour telehealth clinic-to-home visits at
1, 2, 4, and 6 weeks after discharge by the same clinician. Data will be collected from
caregivers and individuals with SCI at baseline immediately before discharge and at 2 and 4
months after discharge.
Inclusion Criteria:
SCI Patient Inclusion Criteria:
- have a telephone in the home or cellular phone and are able to talk on the phone in
English
- are able to provide informed consent
- demonstrate a clinician-rated loss in motor/sensory function on the ASIA scale (i.e.,
have a spinal cord injury)
Caregiver Inclusion Criteria:
- have a telephone in the home or cellular phone and are able to talk on the phone in
English
- are able to provide informed consent
- are a primary caregiver of the individual with SCI
- Caregivers with scores below 10 on the literacy screen will identify a family member
or friend to review the guidebook with the caregiver. If no one is identified, the TAP
clinician will review the materials with the caregiver and function in that additional
capacity
Exclusion Criteria:
- individual with SCI receives his/her primary care from a professional caregiver or
other individual outside of the household besides the primary caregiver
- individuals with SCI or caregivers with known current uncontrolled substance
dependence, aphasia, anosognosia (deficit in self-awareness), or treatment due to
known self-inflicted injury
- individuals living alone
- prisoners
- SCI patient without decision making capacity to consent
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