A telehealth approach to caregiver self-management following traumatic brain injury: A randomized controlled trial

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Study examined whether a telephone-based, individualized education and mentored problem-solving intervention would improve outcomes for caregivers of people with traumatic brain injury (TBI). One hundred fifty-three caregivers (mean age 49.7 years; 82 percent female; 54 percent spouses/partners, 35 percent parents) of adults with moderate-to-severe TBI who received acute and/or rehabilitation care at a level I trauma center were randomized to intervention or control groups. The individualized education and mentored problem-solving intervention focused on caregivers’ primary concerns delivered via up to 10 telephone calls at 2-week intervals. The control group received usual care. Eighty-two percent of participants were evaluated at 6-month follow-up using the Composite of Bakas Caregiving Outcomes Scale (BCOS) and the Brief Symptom Inventory. Secondary measures included the Brief COPE. Results indicate that caregivers in the intervention group scored higher on the BCOS-BSI composite, with more active coping and less emotional venting as measured by the Brief COPE. This study demonstrated that an individualized education and mentored problem-solving approach delivered via telephone in the first few months following community discharge of the TBI survivor resulted in better caregiver outcomes than usual care. Consideration should be given to using this approach to augment the limited support typically offered to caregivers

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