Pilot Trial of Heartsight Education to Support Caregivers of Children Recovering From Cardiac Arrest

What this Trial Is About

This research aims to evaluate the Heartsight educational program designed to support caregivers of children who have experienced cardiac arrest. The study focuses on reducing caregivers uncertainty and emotional distress such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress symptoms during their childs illness recovery. Up to 30 caregivers of pediatric cardiac arrest patients will be enrolled to assess the feasibility and acceptability of this intervention in a pilot randomized controlled trial. Caregivers will be randomly assigned in a 21 ratio to receive the Heartsight education program or to continue with usual care. The Heartsight intervention consists of multiple education modules delivered at different points throughout the childs post-cardiac arrest recovery. The study compares this intervention against standard care to explore its association with caregiver outcomes over three months following hospital discharge. Participants will be evaluated at enrollment in the ICU, at hospital discharge about 21 days later, and again at 3 months post-discharge. Researchers will collect data on caregiver retention, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress symptoms, and perceived uncertainty using validated questionnaires. The primary outcome is retention at 3 months, while secondary outcomes include detailed mental health and uncertainty assessments. The study runs from June 2026 to May 2027, with careful monitoring of caregiver engagement with the educational material.

Removing Surrogates Uncertainty to Reduce Fear and Anxiety After Cardiac Events - Kids