Virtual Health Coaching and Digital Support to Improve Self-Care for Caregivers of Hospitalized Older Adults

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating the impact of a virtual face-to-face health coach intervention compared to web-based resource information alone on improving self-care among informal caregivers of hospitalized older adults with multiple chronic conditions. This randomized controlled trial also explores how outcomes differ between BlackAfrican American and White caregivers and estimates the cost and acute care resource use related to each intervention. The study focuses on caregivers managing care transitions from hospital to home. Participants are randomly assigned to one of two groups for six months one group receives only digital health information delivered through a tailored website, while the other group receives the same digital health information plus a 10-session virtual health coaching intervention. Each coaching session averages 60 minutes and covers topics such as care transitions, caregiving demands, self-care, and coping. Caregivers will complete a baseline interview, a check-in call one month after hospital discharge, and two follow-up interviews at three and six months. Researchers will assess self-care, caregiver confidence, coping skills, stress levels, and overall health status using various questionnaires and scales collected at enrollment and follow-ups. The study aims to compare the effectiveness of the two approaches in supporting caregiver well-being during care transitions.

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