Telephone-based behaviour-therapeutic intervention to reduce family caregiver burden in chronic stroke (Telefongestützte verhaltenstherapeutische Intervention zur entlastung Pflegender angehöriger von Schlaganfall-betroffenen)

ISRCTN ISRCTN86289718
DOI https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN86289718
Secondary identifying numbers 328/2006V
Submission date
05/04/2007
Registration date
22/06/2007
Last edited
11/07/2019
Recruitment status
No longer recruiting
Overall study status
Completed
Condition category
Circulatory System
Prospectively registered
Protocol
Statistical analysis plan
Results
Individual participant data

Plain English summary of protocol

Not provided at time of registration

Contact information

Prof Martin Hautzinger
Scientific

Abteilung für Klinische Psychologie und Entwicklungspsychologie
Universität Tübingen
Christophstr. 2
Tübingen
72072
Germany

Email hautzinger@uni-tuebingen.de

Study information

Study designProspective randomised controlled trial
Primary study designInterventional
Secondary study designRandomised controlled trial
Study setting(s)Not specified
Study typeQuality of life
Participant information sheet Not available in web format, please use the contact details below to request a patient information sheet
Scientific titleTelephone-based behaviour-therapeutic intervention to reduce family caregiver burden in chronic stroke (Telefongestützte verhaltenstherapeutische Intervention zur entlastung Pflegender angehöriger von Schlaganfall-betroffenen)
Study acronymTIPS
Study objectivesA telephone-based behaviour-therapeutic intervention for family caregivers in chronic stroke can reduce their subjective caregiver burden and depressive symptoms. It does not raise total costs of formal and informal care or indirect costs.
Ethics approval(s)The ethics committee of the University of Tuebingen (Germany) (www.uni-tuebingen.de), gave a positive vote for the study on the 25th October 2006 (ref: 328/2006V).
Health condition(s) or problem(s) studiedBurden of family caregivers of chronic stroke survivors
InterventionIntervention group:
Telephone-based problem solving training over 12 months. It comprises two home visits (after randomisation and month three) and regular telephone contacts with decreasing frequency over 12 months:
1. Month one: weekly
2. Months two to three: biweekly
3. Months 4 to 12: monthly, plus up to four additional optional contacts

The problem solving procedure is structured into the following six steps using different cognitive-behavioural techniques like cognitive restructuring and communication skill training according to a fixed intervention manual:
1. Problem definition and facts
2. Optimism and orientation
3. Goal setting
4. Generation of alternatives
5. Decision making
6. Implementation and verification

For initial problem orientation a card sorting procedure with 40 cards is used. The intervention is delivered by a psychologist.

Intervention and control group:
All participants receive a monthly information letter by post on care-giving or stroke related issues (i.e., caregiver rights, nutrition, relaxation techniques) over one year.

Interventions and assessments are delivered by different teams; the assessment team is blinded to the different groups by the study centre. Because communicating of their status by the participants a complete blinding is probably not possible.
Intervention typeOther
Primary outcome measure1. Subjective caregiver burden (Sense of Competence Questionnaire [SCQ])
2. Caregiver depression (the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale [CES-D])
3. Total costs of formal and informal care
4. Indirect costs

Measured at:
T0 (Agreement) primary and secondary outcomes
T1 (3 ½ months after T0) primary and secondary outcomes
T2 (12 months after T0) primary and secondary outcomes
T3 (24 months after T0) and T4 (36 months after T0) institutionalisation rates
Secondary outcome measures1. Ability of social problem solving
2. Social activities
3. Social support
4. Subjective physical symptoms
5. Burden of behavioural symptoms
6. Subjective health related quality of life
7. Qualitative analysis of caregiver burden with description of main problem areas with the card set
8. Institutionalisation rates of care recipients over a prolonged observational period

Measured at:
T0 (Agreement) primary and secondary outcomes
T1 (3 ½ months after T0) primary and secondary outcomes
T2 (12 months after T0) primary and secondary outcomes
T3 (24 months after T0) and T4 (36 months after T0) institutionalisation rates
Overall study start date01/03/2007
Completion date31/10/2010

Eligibility

Participant type(s)Patient
Age groupAdult
Lower age limit18 Years
SexNot Specified
Target number of participants104 participants after 12 months
Total final enrolment122
Key inclusion criteriaCare recipient:
1. 60 years or older at the time moment of index stroke* (loss of neurological function due to an ischaemic or haemorrhagic intracranial vascular event)
2. Formal need of care or help for at least 1.5 hours a day (10.5 hours per week) (this time criteria corresponds to the criteria for receiving benefits from the statutory German nursing insurance), or
3. Need of care in form of supervision or for care recipients with cognitive impairment for at least 1.5 hours a day (10.5 hours per week) (these people are currently not adequately considered by the statutory German nursing insurance, but might be in the future)

Caregiver:
1. Age: 18 years and older
2. Family member, who has cared for the stroke survivor for at least six months
3. Time spent with care of stroke survivor (including nursing care, supervision and contact) at least 1.5 hours per day or 10.5 hours per week. There can be additional support with care (e.g. professional community nurses)
4. Significant caregiver burden assessed with six screening questions
5. Living in the region of Stuttgart (maximum of one hour with public transport from the study centre)
6. Availability of a telephone extension
7. At enrolment, plan to remain in area for the duration of the intervention
8. Ability to communicate over the telephone

* In the case of recurring strokes the index stroke is defined as the last stroke that increases the demand of care in a significant way
Key exclusion criteriaCare recipient:
1. Planned nursing home placement within the next six months
2. Unstable or progressive severe disease
3. Terminal status based on a prognosis of less than six months

Caregiver:
1. Duration of caregiving for the stroke survivor more than five years after index stroke
2. Mental disease like schizophrenia, alcohol addiction or cognitive impairment (rapid dementia screening test less than nine points)
3. Severe and unstable or progressive diseases like cancer
4. Not able to understand and speak German language
5. Temporary increased caregiver burden because of an acute illness (greater than repetition of the screening after such an episode of increased burden)
6. Involved in another clinical trial of interventions for caregivers (non-drug study)
Date of first enrolment01/03/2007
Date of final enrolment31/10/2010

Locations

Countries of recruitment

  • Germany

Study participating centre

Abteilung für Klinische Psychologie und Entwicklungspsychologie
Tübingen
72072
Germany

Sponsor information

Robert Bosch Hospital (Robert-Bosch-Krankenhaus) (Germany)
Hospital/treatment centre

c/o Klaus Pfeiffer
Geriatrisches Kompetenzzentrum
Robert-Bosch-Krankenhaus
Auerbachstr. 110
Stuttgart
70376
Germany

Email klaus.pfeiffer@rbk.de
Website http://www.rbk.de/01.html
ROR logo "ROR" https://ror.org/034nkkr84

Funders

Funder type

Government

Central Associations of the Statutory Health Insurances (Spitzenverbaende der Pflegekassen), represented by the Federation of Salaried Employees Health Insurance Funds (Verband der Angestellten-Krankenkasse e.V.) (Germany)

No information available

Added 20/07/09: Central National Association of the Statutory Health Insurance Funds (GKV-Spitzenverband) (Germany) since 01/07/2008

No information available

Results and Publications

Intention to publish date
Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to shareNo
IPD sharing plan summaryNot provided at time of registration
Publication and dissemination planNot provided at time of registration
IPD sharing plan

Study outputs

Output type Details Date created Date added Peer reviewed? Patient-facing?
Results article results 01/08/2014 11/07/2019 Yes No

Editorial Notes

11/07/2019: Publication reference and total final enrolment added.