The aim of this study is to evaluate whether the School of Caring programme improves quality of life and reduces caregiver burden among informal carers of people living with dementia. The study will also examine how the programme is implemented in primary care settings and assess its economic efficiency.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
Does participation in the School of Caring programme improve the quality of life of informal carers of people with dementia? Does the programme reduce the negative impact and burden associated with caregiving? What factors facilitate or hinder the implementation of the programme in primary care centres? Is the programme cost-utility compared with usual care?
Researchers will compare informal carers who participate in the programme with carers who receive usual care.
Participants will:
Take part in nine face-to-face group sessions (one every two weeks) delivered in primary care centres.
Receive health education, information about social and community resources, practical guidance for daily care, physiotherapy and nutritional support, and strategies to promote self-care and emotional well-being.
Share experiences with other carers and participate in peer support activities. Complete study assessments to measure quality of life, caregiver burden and other relevant outcomes throughout the study period.
The study will also collect information on programme implementation and resource use to evaluate the feasibility, sustainability and economic impact of integrating the intervention into routine primary care practice.
Being an informal caregiver for a person with (a) dementia (ICD-10 codes: G31.84 Cognitive impairment, F03.90 Dementia, F01.5 Vascular dementia, G30 Alzheimer's dementia); (b) with a dependency level of 1 or 2, or a pending dependency assessment, in the Tierras del Ebro region (Catalan Health institute); (c) being of legal age; and (d) availability to participate in in-person sessions.
a) being an informal caregiver for an institutionalized patient, or (b) having difficulty completing a questionnaire.
Parallel
School of Caring Programme
Other interventionSchool of caring is a program for informal caregivers of people with dementia that stands out from other programs by offering a service close to the community and through the leadership of public primary care in a region of Catalonia characterized by scattered rural areas.
Change from Baseline in Health-Related Quality of Life Assessed by the Short Form-36 Health Survey Version 2 (SF-36v2) at 4.5 and 12 Months
Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) will be assessed using the Short Form-36 Health Survey Version 2 (SF-36v2 Health Survey; QualityMetric/Optum), a validated self-administered questionnaire comprising 36 items covering eight health domains: physical functioning, role limitations due to physical health, bodily pain, general health, vitality, social functioning, role limitations due to emotional problems, and mental health. The SF-36v2 will be scored using the QualityMetric norm-based scoring algorithm, generating scores for the eight health domains and the Physical Component Summary (PCS) and Mental Component Summary (MCS). Norm-based scores are standardized against the reference population, with a mean of 50 and a standard deviation of 10; higher scores indicate better health-related quality of life. The SF-36v2 will be completed by all participants.
Change from Baseline in Caregiver Burden Assessed by the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) at 4.5 and 12 Months
Caregiver burden will be measured using the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI), a validated self-administered instrument assessing the perceived impact of caregiving on emotional, physical, social, and financial well-being. The commonly used 22-item version yields a total score ranging from 0 to 88. Higher scores indicate greater caregiver burden, with increasing scores reflecting increasing levels of perceived burden.
Change from Baseline in Self-Efficacy Assessed by the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES) at 4.5 and 12 Months
Self-efficacy will be measured using the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), a validated 10-item questionnaire designed to assess an individual's perceived ability to cope with challenging situations and manage difficulties effectively. Total scores range from 10 to 40, with higher scores indicating greater perceived self-efficacy.
Change from Baseline in Mental Well-Being Assessed by the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS) at 4.5 and 12 Months
Mental well-being will be assessed using the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS), a validated 14-item instrument covering positive affect, psychological functioning, and interpersonal relationships. Total scores range from 14 to 70, with higher scores indicating greater positive mental well-being.
Change from Baseline in Perceived Social Support Assessed by the Oslo Social Support Scale (OSSS-3) at 4.5 and 12 Months
Social support will be measured using the Oslo Social Support Scale (OSSS-3), a brief validated instrument consisting of three items assessing the availability of close relationships, concern and interest from others, and access to practical support. Total scores range from 3 to 14, with higher scores indicating stronger perceived social support. Scores of 3-8 indicate poor social support, 9-11 moderate social support, and 12-14 strong social support.
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Fundacio d'Investigacio en Atencio Primaria Jordi Gol i Gurina
Lead sponsor
Institut Català de la Salut
Collaborator
Servicio Gallego de Salud
Collaborator
Biobizkaia Health Research Institute
Collaborator
University Rovira i Virgili
Collaborator
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