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Study aim
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Determining the effect of early palliative care telehealth intervention on the caregiver burden and quality of life in caregivers of stroke patients
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Design
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A randomized, parallel-group, controlled clinical trial with 35 caregivers in each group. Randomization process will be performed using the Block Randomization method.
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Settings and conduct
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Imam Hossein, Shohadaye Tajrish, and Logman-e Hakim hospitals in Tehran city
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Participants/Inclusion and exclusion criteria
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Inclusion criteria:
1) Having a first-degree relative with the patient (father, mother, spouse, sister, brother, child)
2) Having responsibility for full-time care and follow-up of the patient's treatment (having the largest share of care)
3) Being literate
4) Having a smart phone
Exclusion criteria:
1) Having a confirmed diagnosis of psychological disorders by a psychiatrist
2) People whose patient died during the study
3) People who do not attend two (or more) of the total number of training and follow-up sessions
4) People who have participated in training sessions related to other similar research
5) Incomplete completion of questionnaires
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Intervention groups
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The intervention group will receive early palliative care training across five virtual 30–40 minute sessions. The sessions cover: 1) palliative care principles for stroke patients; 2) problem-solving and the COPE (creativity, optimism, problem-solving, and specialized information) framework; 3) self-care practices including nutrition, exercise, smoking cessation, relaxation, and help-seeking; 4) management of physical and emotional symptoms, self-assessment, and symptom reporting to guide physician prioritization of palliative care and spiritual concerns; and 5) values elicitation, advance care planning, and decision-making support. The control group will receive standard nurse-delivered hospital training.
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Main outcome variables
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Caregiver burden; Quality of life