Remotely delivered information, training and support for informal caregivers of people with dementia
Citation: González-Fraile E, Ballesteros J, Rueda J-R, Santos-Zorrozúa B, Solà I, McCleery J. Remotely delivered information, training and support for informal caregivers of people with dementia. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2021;(1):CD006440. Podcast available in EN.
Language: Abstract available in EN / ES / FA / FR / TH / ZH. Plain language summary available in DE/ EN / ES / FA / FR / JA / MS / RU / TH / ZH. Full text available in EN.
Free to view: Yes.
Funding sources: National Institute for Health Research (UK).
What is this? Remote delivery of information, training and support for informal caregivers for patients with conditions such as dementia might help health systems become more resilient, for example to major shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
In this Cochrane review, the authors searched for randomized trials of remotely delivered interventions that aimed to reduce burden and improve the quality of life for informal caregivers of people with dementia. They did their search in April 2020. They included 26 randomized trials (2367 participants) and identified an additional 3 studies that are awaiting classification and 13 ongoing studies.
What was found: When compared with the provision of information alone, remotely delivered interventions that involve support, training or both, with or without information provision, may slightly reduce caregiver burden and improve caregiver depressive symptoms.
When compared with usual treatment, remotely delivered interventions that involve support, training, or both, with or without information provision probably make little or no difference to caregiver burden and depressive symptoms.
The effects of remotely delivered intervention on institutional care (frequency of nursing home placement) are uncertain.
Implications: The authors of the review stated that due to the rapid increase in the numbers of individuals with dementia in low-income countries, further research into interventions to improve the situation of family caregivers in such settings would be beneficial.
Other considerations: The authors of the review discussed their findings in the context of place of residence, gender and sex.
This summary was prepared by Ana Pizarro, checked by Yasmeen Saeed, and finalized by Mike Clarke.