Communicating Through a Patient Portal to Engage Family Care Partners

AbstractWe examined the effects of a communication intervention to engage family care partners on patient portal (MyChart) use, illness understanding, satisfaction with cancer care, and symptoms of anxiety in a single-blind randomized trial of patients in treatment for breast cancer. Patient-family dyads were recruited and randomly assigned a self-administered checklist to clarify the care partner role, establish a shared visit agenda, and facilitate MyChart access (n = 63) or usual care (n = 55). Interviews administered at baseline, 3, 9 (primary endpoint), and 12 months assessed anxiety (GAD-2), mean FAMCARE satisfaction, and complete illness understanding (4 of 4 items correct). Time-stamped electronic interactions measured MyChart use. By 9 months, more intervention than control care partners registered for MyChart (77.8 % vs 1.8%; p < 0.001) and logged into the patient’s account (61.2% vs 0% of those registered; p < 0.001), but few sent messages to clinicians (6.1% vs 0%; p = 0.247). More intervention than control patients viewed clinical notes (60.3% vs 32.7%; p = 0.003). No pre-post group differences in patient or care partner symptoms of anxiety, satisfaction, or complete illness understanding were found. Intervention patients whose care partners logged into MyChart were more likely to have complete illness understanding at 9 months (changed 70.0% to 80.0% vs 69.7% to 54.6%; p = 0.03); symptoms of anxiety were numerically lower (16.7% to 6.7% vs 15.2% to 15.2%; p = 0.24) and satisfaction numerically higher (15.8–16.2 vs 18.0–17.4; p = 0.25). A brief, scalable communication intervention led to greater care partner MyChart use and increased illness understanding among patients with more engaged care partners (NCT03283553).

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Coaching Care Partners Who Support Loved Ones With MCI

Perspectives on Gerontology ◽

10.1044/gero19.2.50 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 19 (2) ◽

pp. 50-56 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Kerry Mills ◽

Jennifer Brush

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Functioning ◽

Educational Program ◽

Social Withdrawal ◽

Quality Care ◽

Critical Role ◽

Family Care ◽

Speech Language Pathologists ◽

Care Partners ◽

Provide Quality Care ◽

Solution Focused

Speech-language pathologists can play a critical role in providing education and intervention to prevent social withdrawal, prevent premature disability, and maximize cognitive functioning in persons with MCI. The purpose of this article is to describe positive, solution-focused educational program that speech-language pathologists can implement with family care partners to improve relationships and provide quality care for someone living with MCI.

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Pre‐loss group therapy for dementia family care partners at risk for complicated grief

Alzheimer s & Dementia Translational Research & Clinical Interventions ◽

10.1002/trc2.12167 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Katherine P. Supiano ◽

Troy Andersen ◽

Marilyn Luptak ◽

Cynthia Beynon ◽

Eli Iacob ◽

...

Keyword(s):

At Risk ◽

Group Therapy ◽

Complicated Grief ◽

Family Care ◽

Care Partners

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Adapting the SHARE Program for Use With Families Facing the Challenges of Chronic Illness

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.2134 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 626-626

Author(s):

Silvia Orsulic-Jeras ◽

Carol Whitlatch

Keyword(s):

Chronic Illness ◽

Disease Progression ◽

Chronic Conditions ◽

Family Care ◽

Diagnostic Procedures ◽

Dementia Care ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Positive Outcomes ◽

Community Settings ◽

Care Partners

Abstract Advances in diagnostic procedures have helped to make diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias more accurate and to occur earlier in the disease progression. For persons living with dementia and their family care partners, finding programs that meet their needs for support post diagnosis can be challenging. Likewise, for persons with chronic conditions, few programs exist which help care dyads to create a manageable plan of care that addresses each person’s concerns and fears. SHARE, (Support, Health, Activities, Resources, and Education), originally designed for dementia care partners, has shown positive outcomes for both members of the care partnership. This presentation describes the development of the six-session SHARE intervention, its implementation in community settings, and its current standing as an evidence-based program and product that has been commercialized. Discussion will also focus on adapting SHARE for use with chronic illness families, highlighting revisions to program procedures, materials, recruitment, and evaluation.

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Support, Health, Activities, Resources, & Education (SHARE): New Program Innovations for Early-Stage Families

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.2133 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 625-626

Author(s):

Carol Whitlatch ◽

Steven Zarit ◽

Steven Zarit

Keyword(s):

Early Stage ◽

Home Monitoring ◽

Family Care ◽

Positive Outcomes ◽

Program Support ◽

Care Partners ◽

Diagnosis Of Dementia ◽

Recent Diagnosis ◽

Group Version

Abstract Persons living with a recent diagnosis of dementia experience great uncertainty and stress as they and their families try to adjust to the new reality of their lives and futures. One fruitful strategy for intervening with these families is to include both the person living with dementia and their family care partner in the program. Although dyadic approaches are rare among early-stage programs, promising examples exist. The SHARE Program (Support, Health, Activities, Resources, and Education) is one exception where dyadic materials address: 1) current and long- term needs of care partners, and 2) how the family can develop a realistic plan of care based on their care values and preferences. This symposium describes the development and positive outcomes of the original SHARE intervention and the promising adaptations that expand how and to whom the intervention is delivered. Presentations explore: 1) the original SHARE for Dementia program and strategies for expanding its reach into chronic conditions populations (Orsulic-Jeras & Whitlatch), 2) a group version translated into Spanish (“EPIC: Early-stage Partners in Care,” Dr. Coon), and 3) the development of a remote needs assessment and unobtrusive in-home monitoring technology platform that guides care planning and helps to maintain independence (“SHARE-sense,” Dr. Miller). Discussion will focus on the challenges, unique solutions, and positive outcomes when adapting SHARE to different settings and populations (Dr. Zarit).

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AN INTERVENTION TO SUPPORT PERSONS WITH EARLY-STAGE DEMENTIA AND THEIR FAMILY CARE PARTNERS: ADAPTED VERSIONS TARGETED FOR INDIVIDUAL DYADS, DYAD GROUPS, HEART FAILURE DYADS, AND DUTCH FAMILIES IN THE NETHERLANDS

The Gerontologist ◽

10.1093/geront/gnv514.01 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 55 (Suppl_2) ◽

pp. 140-141

Keyword(s):

Heart Failure ◽

The Netherlands ◽

Early Stage ◽

Family Care ◽

Care Partners

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The Association of Dyadic Symptom Appraisal With Physical and Mental Health Over Time in Care Dyads Living With Lung Cancer

Journal of Family Nursing ◽

10.1177/1074840719889967 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 26 (1) ◽

pp. 15-25 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Karen S. Lyons ◽

Christopher S. Lee

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Lung Cancer ◽

Physical Health ◽

Multilevel Modeling ◽

Family Care ◽

Time Varying ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Care Partners ◽

Symptom Appraisal ◽

Over Time

The study examined the association between changes in dyadic symptom appraisal with changes in physical and mental health of 109 family care dyads living with lung cancer over 12 months. Multilevel modeling was used to analyze both aggregate and time-varying associations of dyadic symptom appraisal with dyadic health. Patients had significantly worse physical health compared with their care partner; care partners had significantly worse mental health compared with patients. In general, greater incongruent symptom appraisals were significantly associated with worse physical health for both patients and care partners. Importantly, increases in magnitude of incongruence regarding the patient’s pain interference were significantly associated with declines in patient physical health over time. Direction of the incongruence was associated with mental health. Findings highlight the need for both a longitudinal and dyadic perspective of symptom appraisal to move toward theoretically driven interventions that will optimize the health of both patients and their care partners.

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