African American Alzheimer's Caregiver Training and Support Project 2 (ACTS2) pilot study: Outcomes analysis.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to conduct an initial evaluation of the quantitative and qualitative outcomes of the African American Alzheimer's Caregiver Training and Support Project 2 (ACTS2). Quantitative objectives focused on assessing changes in caregiver depression and health status, as well as the severity of caregiving and self-care problems from pre- to postintervention. Secondary quantitative analyses examined posttreatment changes in social support and caregiver burden. Qualitative objectives included examining caregivers' perceptions of the effectiveness of in-session training activities, quality of relationships among group participants and their facilitator, and appraisals of spiritual elements of the program. RESEARCH METHOD/DESIGN: Nine African American family caregivers of older adults with dementia completed the ACTS2 lay pastoral care facilitator-led, telephone cognitive-behavioral intervention. The 12-week training program included seven skills-building groups and five individual problem-solving sessions. RESULTS: Significant improvements were found on the majority of dependent measures, including caregiver depression, health status, problem severity, and social support. Qualitative analysis highlighted the value caregivers placed on relationships with coparticipants and group facilitators, the role of spirituality in the program, and the importance of goal setting for improving caregiver distress and self-care. CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS: Convergence was found between quantitative and qualitative findings, particularly improvements in caregiver distress, health status, and social support. Overall, the findings of the pilot study were promising. Replication using a randomized controlled design with a larger sample size is needed to test the reliability of the findings. The benefits of tailoring intervention to caregivers' sociocultural preferences and spiritual values are also addressed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Effects of computer-based therapy versus therapist-mediated therapy in stroke-related aphasia: Pilot non-inferiority study.

PURPOSE: The burgeoning growth of computer-based rehabilitation technologies has led to a paradigm shift in the delivery of aphasia intervention. The aim of this study was to conduct a pilot non-inferiority study comparing computer-based training for people with aphasia versus traditional therapist-mediated training on language skills, functional communication and quality of life outcomes in the hospital setting. METHODS: Twenty-two fluent, monolingual Italian speakers with stroke-related aphasia in the acute phase of recovery were enrolled in the study. Participants were assigned randomly to computer-based or therapist-mediated aphasia treatment. Both groups received one, 50-minute session for 5 days per week over a period of 8 weeks. During the training, they were administered words and sentence comprehension, written naming, word completion, fluency, word and sentence reorganization tasks. The complexity of each task was increased progressively based on the severity of each person's language deficits. RESULTS: Participants in both computer-based and traditional therapist-mediated aphasia intervention showed significant gains in language skills, functional communication and quality of life from pre- to post-treatment. Statistically significant within-group differences were found across all outcome measures. In contrast, no significant between-group and group x time interaction effects were found across language skills, functional communication and quality-of-life measures. CONCLUSIONS: The overall pattern of findings suggested computer-based intervention was not inferior to traditional therapist-based intervention for enhancing functional communication deficits in stroke-related aphasia during the acute phase of recovery. A follow-up, fully-powered clinical trial is needed to confirm the reliability of these results.

Telehealth Interventions for Family Caregivers of Persons with Chronic Health Conditions: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to provide an in-depth analysis of the components and outcomes of telehealth interventions for family caregivers of individuals with chronic health conditions. METHODS: A systematic review of 17 databases was conducted for randomized controlled trials published between January 2002 and January 2017. Interventions were analyzed based on type of telecommunication modality, caregiver and care recipient characteristics, intervention components, and caregiver outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 57 articles met criteria for inclusion. Telephone was the most frequently used mode of telehealth delivery and focused primarily on caregivers of older adults with dementia and stroke. Skills training was the most prevalent treatment strategy across telephone, web, and combined telephone and web modalities. Improved psychological functioning was reported most frequently across telehealth modalities. CONCLUSION: Telehealth is an effective tool in delivering caregiver interventions and leads to significant improvement in caregiver outcomes. Telephone was used most often to deliver cognitive-behavioral and psychoeducational strategies as compared to web and combined telephone and web modalities. Further research is needed to examine the effects of telehealth interventions on caregiving skills and self-efficacy, as well as health outcomes.

Effects of in-person and telephone-based cognitive behavioral therapies on health services use and expenditures among African-American dementia caregivers with depressive symptoms.

Objectives: To compare the effects of telephone-based and in-person cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) on health services use and expenditures among African-American dementia caregivers (CGs) with depressive symptoms.Methods: We analyzed data collected from 109 caregivers in a randomized controlled trial comparing the effects of telephone-based and in-person CBT on health services use and costs. Study participants were assigned randomly to either telephone or in-person CBT. Data were collected one week before and one week after the 12-week intervention. The Health Service Composite (HSC) was used to collect information on health services (physical and mental health, emergency room, hospital) utilization and associated expenditures. Intervention cost data were collected using micro-costing analysis. We used generalized linear models to examine whether the two groups differed in total health care expenditures over the six-month study period.Results: CG characteristics and health services use were similar at pre-intervention. CGs' monthly health expenditures averaged $924 and $844 in the in-person and telephone-based groups, respectively. However, intervention costs were lower for telephone-based than in-person CBT. Adjusting for CG characteristics and pre-intervention health status, there were no statistically significant differences in average monthly expenditures between the two intervention groups across time.Discussion: Findings suggest that while telephone-based CBT offers more participation flexibility, it has a similar cost profile as compared to the in-person CBT. Despite the lack of cost saving, telephone-based CBT may be an important option for providing skills building and support to older African-American family CGs with barriers to access resources for respite care and transportation.

Social Determinants of Potential eHealth Engagement Among People Living with HIV Receiving Ryan White Case Management: Health Equity Implications from Project TECH.

OBJECTIVES: Evaluate the relationships between social characteristics of Floridian persons living with HIV (PLWH) and both use of digital technologies and willingness to use eHealth for HIV-related information. METHODS: Ryan White case managers (N = 155) from 55 agencies in 47 Florida counties administered a survey to PLWH (N = 1268) from June 2016-April 2017. Multilevel logistic regression models were used to identify correlates of technology use and willingness. RESULTS: Use of mobile phones with text messaging was high (89%). Older (vs. younger) adults and non-Hispanic blacks (vs. whites) were less likely to use most technologies. These groups, along with Hispanics (vs. whites) were less likely to express willingness to use technologies for HIV-related information in models adjusting for use. CONCLUSIONS: Among PLWH in Florida, eHealth-related inequities exist. Willingness to engage in HIV-related eHealth is affected by social determinants, even when considering technology access. Although eHealth may reduce some healthcare inequities, it may exacerbate others.

Effectiveness of Powerful Tools for Caregivers on Caregiver Burden and on Care Recipient Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a psychoeducational intervention, Powerful Tools for Caregivers (PTC), for family caregivers of individuals with dementia. DESIGN: A pragmatic, 2-arm randomized controlled trial compared the PTC intervention, as delivered in practice, to usual care. Participants randomized to usual care functioned as a control group and then received the PTC intervention. INTERVENTION: PTC is a 6-week manualized program that includes weekly 2-hour classes in a group setting facilitated by 2 trained and certified leaders. The educational program helps caregivers to enhance self-care practices and manage emotional distress. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Two stakeholder organizations delivered the intervention in community settings. Participants were family caregivers of individuals with dementia recruited from the community in Florida. METHODS: Primary outcomes were caregiver burden and behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia of the care recipient. Secondary outcomes included caregiver depressive symptoms, self-efficacy, self-rated health, and life satisfaction. Measures were collected at baseline (n = 60 participants), postintervention (n = 55), and at 6-week follow-up (n = 44). RESULTS: Intent-to-treat analyses found PTC reduced caregiver burden (d = -0.48) and depressive symptoms (d = -0.53), and increased self-confidence (d = 0.68), but found no significant benefit for behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia in care recipients. PTC was rated highly by participants and program attrition was low, with 94% of caregivers completing at least 4 of the 6 classes. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Although no significant effects were found for behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia, this trial supports the effectiveness of PTC to improve caregiver outcomes as delivered in the community.

Italian adaptation of the functional outcome questionnaire - aphasia: initial psychometric evaluation.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Italian version of Functional Outcome Questionnaire - Aphasia. METHODS: Two hundred and five persons with stroke-related aphasia and right hemiparesis who received ongoing assistance from a family caregiver were assessed using the Functional Outcome Questionnaire - Aphasia, Aachener Aphasie Test, Token Test, Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices, Functional Independence Measure (FIM), Functional Assessment Measure (FAM), and Quality of Life Questionnaire for Aphasics (QLQA). The Functional Outcome Questionnaire - Aphasia was translated into the Italian language using a translation and back-translation method. Reliability and construct validity of the Functional Outcome Questionnaire - Aphasia were evaluated. RESULTS: The Italian version of the Functional Outcome Questionnaire - Aphasia showed good internal consistency and test-retest reliability for the overall scale (α = 0.98; ICC = 0.95) and subscales (α = 0.89 for the communicating basic needs (CBN), α = 0.92 for the making routine requests (MRR), α = 0.96 for the communicating new information (CNI), α = 0.93 for the attention/other communication skills (AO); ICC = 0.95 for CBN, ICC = 0.96 for MRR, ICC = 0.97 for CNI and ICC = 0.92 for AO). Significant correlations were found between the Functional Outcome Questionnaire - Aphasia and Token Test, QLQA, Aachener Aphasie Test scores, and FAM linguistic scores, indicating good convergent validity. Low correlations were found between Functional Outcome Questionnaire - Aphasia and Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices and FIM motor scores, showing good discriminant validity. CONCLUSIONS: The overall findings of this study supported the reliability and construct validity of the Italian version of the Functional Outcome Questionnaire - Aphasia. This measure holds considerable promise in assessing the functional outcomes of aphasia rehabilitation in Italian-speaking persons with aphasia. Implications for Rehabilitation Functional Outcome Questionnaire - Aphasia is a reliable and valid questionnaire in assessing functional communication of Italian-speaking people with aphasia. This measure provides critical information about people with aphasia's functional and pragmatic communication in home and community settings, contributing significantly to overall quality of life. Since the use of measures of functional communication is recommended in the clinical evaluation of language disease, the Italian version of Functional Outcome Questionnaire - Aphasia may be effective in tailoring rehabilitation treatment to the presenting communication problems of people with aphasia and their caregivers.

Qualitative Analysis of Faith Community Nurse-Led Cognitive-Behavioral and Spiritual Counseling for Dementia Caregivers.

This article presents themes emerging from semistructured interviews with dementia family caregivers in rural communities who participated in an integrative, cognitive-behavioral and spiritual counseling intervention, and with faith community nurses (FCNs) who delivered the intervention. The primary objectives of the counseling intervention were to ameliorate dementia caregivers' depressive affect and the severity of their self-identified caregiving and self-care problems. The qualitative portion of the study was intended to elicit caregivers' and FCNs' perceptions of the benefits and drawbacks of the intervention. We conducted interviews with seven FCN/caregiver pairs 4 times during the 6-month counseling process, totaling 56 interviews. Themes emerging from the interviews included caregivers' perception of burden and care partners' problem behavior; formation of therapeutic alliance between FCNs and caregivers; problem-solving skills, tools, and resources; caregivers' use of problem-solving strategies; spirituality in caregiving and counseling processes; FCNs' prior professional experience; and caregiver and FCN time constraints.

African American Dementia Caregiver Problem Inventory: Descriptive analysis and initial psychometric evaluation.

OBJECTIVES: The primary objectives of the present study were: (a) to develop the African American Dementia Caregiver Problem Inventory (DCPI-A) that assesses the types and frequency of problems reported by African American dementia caregivers seeking cognitive-behavioral intervention, (b) to evaluate the intercoder reliability of the DCPI-A, and (c) to measure the perceived severity of common problems reported by this caregiver population. METHOD: The development of the DCPI-A was divided into 3 major steps: (a) creating an initial sample pool of caregiver problems derived from 2 parent randomized clinical trials, (b) formulating a preliminary version of the DCPI-A, and (c) finalizing the development of the DCPI-A that includes 20 problem categories with explicit coding rules, definitions, and illustrative examples. RESULTS: The most commonly reported caregiver problems fell into 5 major categories: (a) communication problems with care recipients, family members, and/or significant others, (b) problems with socialization, recreation, and personal enhancement time; (c) problems with physical health and health maintenance, (d) problems in managing care recipients' activities of daily living; and (e) problems with care recipients' difficult behaviors. Intercoder reliability was moderately high for both percent agreement and Cronbach's kappa. A similar positive pattern of results was obtained for the analysis of coder drift. CONCLUSIONS: The descriptive analysis of the types and frequency of problems of African American dementia caregivers coupled with the outcomes of the psychometric evaluation bode well for the adoption of the DCPI-A in clinical settings. (PsycINFO Database Record

A meta-analysis of web-delivered tailored health behavior change interventions.

Web-based tailored intervention programs show considerable promise in effecting health-promoting behaviors and improving health outcomes across a variety of medical conditions and patient populations. This meta-analysis compares the effects of tailored versus nontailored web-based interventions on health behaviors and explores the influence of key moderators on treatment outcomes. Forty experimental and quasi-experimental studies (N =20,180) met criteria for inclusion and were analyzed using meta-analytic procedures. The findings indicated that web-based tailored interventions effected significantly greater improvement in health outcomes as compared with control conditions both at posttesting, d =.139 (95% CI = .111, .166, p <.001, k =40) and at follow-up, d =.158 (95% CI = .124, .192, p <.001, k =21). The authors found no evidence of publication bias. These results provided further support for the differential benefits of tailored web-based interventions over nontailored approaches. Analysis of participant/descriptive, intervention, and methodological moderators shed some light on factors that may be important to the success of tailored interventions. Implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed.

Telehealth for persons with severe functional disabilities and their caregivers: facilitating self-care management in the home setting.

Persons with severe functional disabilities are the highest users of health care services. Caring for the needs of this population represents a significant percentage of our national health care costs. A growing body of research has demonstrated the efficacy of self-management strategies and caregiver engagement for effective long-term care for individuals with chronic medical conditions. Economic forces over the past decade have led to new challenges and resulted in major changes in health care delivery resulting in shortened length of inpatient stays and greater limits on the length of outpatient treatment. Telehealth is an innovative method for health care delivery and a means of meeting this new challenge. This article highlights the findings of 3 pilot studies on the use of telecommunications technologies in promoting self-care management and enhancing health care outcomes in persons with severe disabilities and their family caregivers. The importance of matching technology to the needs of this population, lessons learned from these investigations, and future directions for research are addressed.

Telephone-based, cognitive-behavioral therapy for African American dementia caregivers with depression: initial findings.

OBJECTIVES: Discuss initial findings of a randomized clinical trial comparing the effects of telephone-based and face-to-face (f-to-f) cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) on changes in caregiver (CG) burden, assistance support, depression, and health status for African American (AA) CGs with depression. DESIGN: Pilot study using a prepost, two-group design with 14 enrolled and randomized participants. MEASURES: Subjective Burden subscale of the Caregiver Appraisal Inventory, Assistance Support subscale of the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List, Physical Symptoms subscale of the Caregiver Health and Health Behavior Inventory and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. RESULTS: Prepost improvements were found on 11 completers across all measures for both telephone and f-to-f CBT. Moderate and similar effects sizes for CG subjective burden and assistance support were found for both the telephone and f-to-f groups. Effect sizes for physical symptoms and depression varied from low to moderate, respectively, with a trend toward smaller improvements in f-to-f CBT than in telephone CBT. Qualitative analysis highlighted CGs' perceptions of the active ingredients of treatment and provided indirect support for similar gains in emotional and psychosocial functioning across the two treatment modalities. CONCLUSIONS: Both telephone-based and f-to-f CBT showed improvements in depression, subjective burden, and assistance support in dementia AA CGs. Replication with a larger sample size (N = 106) is currently in progress. Study limitations and future directions for research are also addressed.

Integrative cognitive-behavioral and spiritual counseling for rural dementia caregivers with depression.

OBJECTIVE: Discuss initial evaluation of a program for training faith community nurses (FCNs) to conduct cognitive-behavioral and spiritual counseling (CBSC) for rural dementia caregivers (CGs), and present 2 case studies on the use of CBSC for treating depression in this population. STUDY DESIGN: Pre-post evaluation of the effectiveness of CBSC training and a case study analysis of the effectiveness of CBSC on CG problem improvement and depression. OUTCOME MEASURES: For FCN training, we used the FCN Counseling Comfort Scale, FCN Counseling Efficacy Scale, and the FCN Counseling Workshop Satisfaction Survey. The Problem Severity Scale and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale were used in the case studies. RESULTS: Significant post-training increases in FCN counseling comfort and perceived counseling efficacy were obtained. Case study findings provided evidence of substantial improvement in caregiving problems and reductions in depression. CONCLUSIONS: Preliminary outcomes of FCN training and CBSC for dementia CGs were promising. However, replication across the sample is required to evaluate the overall effectiveness of CBSC for reducing CG depression. Specific competencies and ethical considerations in supervising this form of intervention are also addressed.

Computer-tailored health interventions delivered over the Web: review and analysis of key components.

OBJECTIVE: This systematic review explores how computer-tailored, behavioral interventions implemented and delivered via the Web have been operationalized in a variety of settings. METHODS: Computer-tailored, online behavioral intervention studies published from 1996 to early 2007 were selected and reviewed by two independent coders. RESULTS: Of 503 studies screened, 30 satisfied the selection criteria. The level of sophistication of these interventions varied from immediate risk/health assessment, tailored web content to full-blown customized health programs. The most common variables for tailoring content were health behaviors and stages of change. Message tailoring was achieved through a combination mechanisms including: feedback, personalization and adaptation. CONCLUSIONS: Tailored, self-guided health interventions delivered via the Web to date have involved a great diversity of features and formats. While some programs have been relatively brief and simple, others have involved complex, theory-based tailoring with iterative assessment, tools for development of self-regulatory skills, and various mechanisms for providing feedback. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Our ability to fully optimize the use of computer-assisted tailoring will depend on the development of empirically based guidelines for tailoring across populations, health foci, health behaviors and situations. Further outcome research is needed to enhance our understanding of how and under what conditions computer-tailoring leads to positive health outcomes in online behavioral interventions.

Online support and education for dementia caregivers: overview, utilization, and initial program evaluation.

Family caregivers of older adults with progressive dementia (e.g., Alzheimer's disease) are confronted with a variety of challenges in providing assistance to their loved ones, such as dealing with persistent, repetitive questions, managing episodes of agitation and aggressive responding, as well as monitoring hygiene and self-care activities. Although professional and governmental organizations have called for the creation of community-based education and support programs, a significant proportion of dementia caregivers in the United States continue to receive little or no formal instruction in responding effectively to these anxiety-provoking situations. This paper describes the development and implementation of Alzheimer's Caregiver Support Online (also known as AlzOnline), an Internet- and telephone-based education and support network for caregivers of individuals with progressive dementia. An outcome analysis of a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-funded strategic marketing initiative to promote the use of AlzOnline is reviewed, followed by a presentation of the findings of an initial program evaluation. Finally, future directions for online caregiver evaluation research are proposed.

Prototype database for telerehabilitation.

Telerehabilitation is a promising alternative health-care delivery system, but currently lacks broad-based empirical support for the efficacy and cost utility of its interventions. This article describes the development of a database at INTEGRIS Jim Thorpe Rehabilitation Center (IJTRC) that will link the delivery of telerehabilitation services, reimbursement, and outcomes evaluation. The database is a culmination of the combined efforts of administrators, clinicians, and information technology professionals. Feasibility of the project was first established from technical, economic, and organizational perspectives. The current workflow and documentation processes were analyzed and enhanced. This was followed by data modeling and design of the database architecture in terms of network, security, scalability, and system specification. A prototype was created in Microsoft Access with the final product planned in Structured Query Language (SQL) with a front-end in JAVA JSP. The initial results with the database have been encouraging in terms of increased efficacy and security, process streamlining, error reduction, and collection of comprehensive standardized data for statistical analysis of clinical and research outcomes.

Development and exploratory analysis of the Neurorehabilitation Program Styles Survey.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a survey instrument that assesses implementation of key components of outpatient neurorehabilitation programs and test the capacity of this instrument to differentiate between rehabilitation approaches. DESIGN: The Neurorehabilitation Program Styles Survey (NPSS) was administered to 18 outpatient facilities: 10 specialized and 8 discipline-specific outpatient neurorehabilitation programs. Scores were compared between types of programs using independent samples t tests. RESULTS: The NPSS showed good reliability and contrasted groups validity, significantly differentiating between types of programs. CONCLUSIONS: The NPSS holds considerable promise as a tool for distinguishing among different types of brain injury programs, and for assessing the differential effectiveness of specialized versus discipline-specific outpatient brain rehabilitation programs. Future research on the NPSS will assess the stability of the instrument over time, its content validity, and capacity to differentiate the full continuum of neurorehabilitation programs.

Alzheimer's Caregiver Support Online: lessons learned, initial findings and future directions.

Family caregivers of older adults with progressive dementia (e.g., Alzheimer's disease) are faced with a variety of emotional and behavioral difficulties, such as dealing with persistent, repetitive questions, managing agitation and depression, and monitoring hygiene and self-care activities. Although professional and governmental organizations have called for the creation of community-based education and support programs, most dementia caregivers continue to receive little or no formal instruction in responding effectively to these challenges. The current paper describes the development and implementation of Alzheimer's Caregiver Support Online, a Web- and telephone-based education and support network for caregivers of individuals with progressive dementia. Lessons learned from the first two years of this state-supported initiative are discussed, followed by the findings of a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-funded strategic marketing initiative and an initial program evaluation of AlzOnline's Positive Caregiving classes. Finally, clinical implications and future directions for program development and evaluation research are proposed.

Functional Outcome Questionnaire for Aphasia: overview and preliminary psychometric evaluation.

OBJECTIVE: To perform a preliminary evaluation of a questionnaire designed to assess functional outcomes of treatment for aphasia. METHODS: The Functional Outcome Questionnaire for Aphasia (FOQ-A) is an inventory consisting of 32 caregiver-completed items rating the person with stroke's ability to perform various communication behaviors on a 5-point scale. The total score for the FOQ-A is reported as a mean of all completed items. The FOQ-A was administered by research assistants to caregivers of patients with left hemisphere stroke (n = 18). RESULTS: The FOQ-A showed acceptable initial reliability and validity properties. As predicted, the FOQ-A displayed high positive correlations with standardized functional communication measures. The FOQ-A also showed only weak associations with other measures (health-related quality of life, caregiver strain). CONCLUSIONS: Overall results of our preliminary psychometric examination of the FOQ-A were promising. The findings suggested that the FOQ-A may be a sensitive measure of functional communication abilities and does not appear to be biased heavily by caregiver strain. Plans for further evaluation of the FOQ-A are discussed.