Assessing feasibility of an online caregiver intervention to improve respite: The time for living and caring (TLC) study.
ABSTRACT
Background:
Interventions that are self-administered and delivered online are increasingly being seen as a flexible way to support family caregivers. Respite, defined as a planned break or time away from caregiving, is among the most needed and requested forms of caregiver support; yet, few caregiver interventions address caregivers’ use of respite.
Objective:
We describe the methodology and data used to assess the feasibility, usability, and acceptability of the Time for Living and Caring (TLC) intervention; a technology delivered intervention (app) for dementia caregivers to improve respite time use.
Methods:
This study’s evaluation effort is theoretically guided by a multidimensional definition of feasibility and employs a mixed-methods approach for feasibility analysis. Stakeholder feedback collected via focus groups during the intervention development (n=15), self-reported surveys from participants enrolled in the pilot trial of the intervention (n=163), surveys of a nationwide sample of respite providers (n=57), and end-user statistics, captured passively by Google Analytics from those using the app, were used in the analysis of the TLC intervention feasibility.
Results:
Data and metrics, overall, show high rates of feasibility for the TLC online intervention. Favorable ratings of intervention features ranged from 83-99%, which, when combined with open-ended recommendations for improvements, indicate a high degree of usability. Acceptability was measured through appraisal of the intervention experience (85% positive), potential future use (78%), willingness to recommend (91%), and perceived benefit (> 80%).
Conclusions:
Taken together, these data suggest that TLC is a promising intervention that could be implemented as an on-demand resource for respite-using caregivers irrespective of where they are located or when they choose to access it. Additionally, this paper provides a blueprint for systematically evaluating multiple dimensions of feasibility, using various forms of mixed-methods data collected during intervention development and pilot-testing of an intervention, which should help streamline the eventual implementation of effective interventions in real-world settings. Clinical Trial: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03689179
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