Testing Tele‐Savvy: Protocol for a randomized controlled trial

By 2050, almost 16 million Americans may live with dementia and will rely predominantly on informal caregivers for support. In providing this support, caregivers frequently suffer a wide range of adverse consequences. Although established psychoeducation programs benefit caregivers, attending in-person programs is challenging for caregivers who must find time, transportation, and substitute care, all of which come with expenses. To address this challenge, the Savvy Caregiver Program, an evidence-based psychoeducation program with demonstrated effectiveness for caregiving and disease-related outcomes, was transformed into an on-line program, Tele-Savvy. This article describes the rationale for and design of a prospective longitudinal randomized controlled trial (n=270), currently underway. The trial aims to establish Tele-Savvy’s efficacy in (i) reducing the negative effects of caregiving on caregivers; (ii) promoting care recipients’ quality of life; (iii) improving caregiver mastery; and (iv) to explore Tele-Savvy’s efficacy among caregivers of different races/ethnicities. The mediating role of mastery on Aims 1 & 2 outcomes will be assessed. Participants are randomized to the active condition (immediate Tele-Savvy participation), attention control, or usual care. Participants in the two latter conditions complete Tele-Savvy six months post-baseline. Multilevel mixed effects models will be used to examine changes in outcomes and model group by time interactions (months since baseline). The exploratory aim will be addressed using analysis of covariance and qualitatively. This trial’s results may be used by healthcare and community organizations to implement Tele-Savvy into dementia care, increasing caregivers’ access to this evidence-based intervention.